Long Way From Home Megan and Sebastien Fanfic
by AerianaEve
Summary: 15Love COMPLETED Megan and Sebastien learn more about each other and themselves as they battle their way through the Hamstead tournament. Rated just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE- IN FLIGHT**  
Megan sighed as the plane took off from the tarmac.  
"What's wrong?" asked Sebastien.  
"Oh…I'm just going to miss everyone at Cascadia. I know we're only leaving for a few weeks, but what am I going to do without Dena?"  
"Well she'll still be there when we get back! Relax Megs…at least we're not completely alone."  
Megan smiled as she looked at Sebastien. Secretly, she was glad it was Seb coming with her to the Hamstead Tournament than anyone else. It was so difficult to find time alone with him with everyone else around. Adena always seemed to be bursting in on all those perfect moments, and as much as Megs loved her, she couldn't help but feel a little miffed. Adena had everything- tennis skills, beauty, and confidence. Why should she go after Sebastien when she knew Megan liked him? Maybe even…loved, him?  
Sebastien was worried. Megan was clearly very worried- and it couldn't just be about leaving Cascadia for a little while. He knew Megs had trouble with her nerves…he'd seen her wince in pain the day of a big game. Her hands were usually red and swollen from gripping her racket in the dead of the night. Sebastien would have done anything to ease her pain- on those days, and especially today.  
"Megan…I- Sebastien trailed off.  
"What?"  
"Oh uh, nothing." Sebastien held her eyes for a few moments, until he started gently laughing.  
"What! Sebastien! What's so funny?" Megan sat up and demanded that he explain why he was laughing.  
"You realize that we're going to be sharing a room? If you're anything as clean as Squib…_" _Sebastien shook his finger in Megan's face and tried to tickle her.  
"Seb! Seb!" Megan had grabbed both his hands to stop him tickling her and was leaning over in front of him. "Are you comparing me to _Squib? _I'm hurt, I really am."  
Sebastien made a sad-puppy-dog-face and they both burst into laughter. "Seeing as we'll be sharing a room, I'd like to remind you that there will be NO REPEATS of Adena's birthday. You better not have any make-up on you…"  
"Awww it's too late for you Monsieur Dubé! I brought blush this time- and it's just your colour!" They started giggling helplessly again, as the man sitting in front of them turned around and told them to SHUSH!  
"We better rest anyways- our first game is the day after we land, " said Sebastien. Suddenly Megan clutched her stomach and let out a cry of pain. Seb leaned over her and ran his fingers over her white knuckles. "Megan! Megan! What's wrong? _Mon Dieu…_" He frantically searched through his carry-on and found a small box of motion-sickness pills. He pulled Megan's now-heavy body up and forced it down while she laboured to breathe.  
"I'm….fine….stomach ache…..that's…..all." Megan tried her best to reassure Sebastien. He looked so worried that she'd say anything to erase the fear on his face. Truth was, she'd been having these spasms of pain for quite a while, and wouldn't tell anyone lest they tell her to lay off the tennis. Her career was everything- and with the way her family's assets were going, she needed to hang on to it as long as she could.  
"Well…just rest, for now. We've got a long flight ahead of us anyways." Sebastien pulled forward his seat in order to help Megan lie back. He smoothed out her hair and laid a thin blanket over her. Megan's spasm had left her exhausted, and she soon fell asleep. After watching for a while to make sure she was ohkay, Sebastien fell asleep too


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO- SOLID GROUND  
**"All passengers please return their seats to the upright position and fasten their seatbelts. We will be landing in about ten minutes. The temperature is 10 degrees centigrade, and it is 5:00 AM."   
"Megs…Megs wake up, we're here." Sebastien shook Megan and helped her snap the seat back into place. He took a second to gaze at her face, still tired before a flight attendant asked him to put on his seatbelt. She smiled at them before walking back to the cockpit.   
"Sebastien?" Megan's gentle voice startled him. "Oh sorry- I didn't mean to bother you."  
"Not at all! I was just…lost in my thoughts," he answered.  
"What are your thoughts? Right now, I mean." Seb could tell by her voice that she wasn't prying, she just wanted to know.  
"Well…I'm scared. This is my first international tournament and I'm just not sure what to expect. Plus, I've never been this far from home before."  
Megan sat up. "I thought you emigrated from France? That's pretty far." Sebastian took a few moments before answering.  
"Oh…oh yea. That's different though- it's more of changing homes, than just being away from one." Megan nodded. "And I'm worried about you. Have you had pains like this before? Have you told anyone?"   
Now it was her turn to look away. "I have, and I haven't. I mean…my stomach has hurt like this before, and no one knows. I didn't want them to stop me playing tennis."  
Sebastien was about to answer when they felt the plane start to descend. As the plane touched ground, he felt a jolt of anticipation hit his heart. Who knew what was to come? A few minutes later the passengers started filing off. Megan and Sebastien took their bags and headed for Baggage Pick-Up. As Megan reached for her luggage case, Sebastien gently touched her arm and said, "Let me take it. You still look tired from the flight." Megan was about to refuse, before realizing that she really was fatigued. They rolled out of the baggage claim area into a huge empty space full of people.   
"Seb…where are we supposed to go?" asked Megan.  
"Oh uh…I was visualizing my backhand while Gunns was explaining everything," Sebastien explained sheepishly.  
"Seb! Now what do we do?" He shrugged and said, "Just stick with me. I think someone's supposed to meet us here." As they wandered off into the crowd, someone came up to them.  
"Are you O'Connor and Dubé?" They nodded. "I'm Matthew Williams, of the Hamstead Tournament Committee. How was your flight?"   
"Megan had-" Megan interrupted Sebastien, "I had a little motion sickness. I'm not used to flying." She tried to muster an ingratiating smile towards the man, but her effort failed after she saw the look on Sebastien's face. _I've got to explain this to him…but how?_  
Sebastien and Mr. Williams had an animated conversation about playing on grass vs. clay courts in the taxi, while Megan rested silently beside him. Every so often, she could feel his eyes falling on her tired face, but didn't have the energy to join in the conversation. She wished as hard as she could that they could be alone at the hotel.   
"Oh and the hotel we put you up with has quite a few courts to practise on. Of course, you'll be competing for space with the other Hamstead players, but we've taken over a tennis club nearby for the duration of the tournament. It's a short walk away," explained Mr. Williams.  
Soon enough, the taxi came to a stop outside a large building. Mr. Williams handed them both keys and helped them get their luggage out of the car. "See you tomorrow!" he waved after getting back into the taxi. Sebastien asked Megan if she was ohkay, and started to lug the bags into the lobby of the hotel.   
A bellhop popped out from a door right near the entrance and deftly piled the bags onto a cart. "Do you have a room reserved already?" he asked. Sebastien showed him the keys Mr. Williams had just given them, and the bellhop called down an elevator, helped them into it, and even pushed the correct floor button for them. As the doors began to close, he waved goodbye and stepped off the elevator.   
"That was weird," said Sebastien.  
"Should you be used to that Seb? After all, you get that kind of service at home all the time, right?" asked Megan.  
"Oh…oh yea. All the time." 

Ding! The elevator doors slid open and they got off. They were sleeping in room 733. Megan read a sign on the wall and turned left, as Sebastien followed her with the luggage on the cart. She turned the key and opened the door to an amazing suite. They saw a mini kitchen, beautiful bathroom, living area, and a huge bedroom with two beds all ready for them. "I could live here forever!" exclaimed Megan.  
"I know what you mean. This place is GREAT! Hey Megs, look at the view." Sebastien pulled her open to a huge window with a view of a lake. The sun was rising on the other side of it, and they could see the water sparkling in its wake.   
"It's beautiful. But…why's the sun just rising?"   
"We landed at 5:00 in the _morning _Megan! There's a full day ahead of us. But I suggest we both get a little sleep- I don't know about you, but that guy sitting in front of us was snoring to beat Rick. It wasn't exactly a restful flight," laughed Sebastien.  
"Ohhhh I know! He must have had a small animal up his nose or something, but I've never heard a noise like that before!" Megan tried to do an imitation of the horrible man but ended up collapsing in a fit of laughter. Sebastien's eyes glowed as they both cracked up right in the middle of the living room. He couldn't help but stare in wonder at how beautiful Megan looked when she was laughing. Then the smile slid off his face. Megan's laughter had transformed to something quite different. "Not…again!" Meg tried to stand up straight, but ended up moaning in pain and reaching for a something to hold on to as she fell towards the ground. Sebastien lunged for her and held her in his arms, trying to keep her calm. The pain in her stomach was gripping her insides and tearing at her lungs. A horrible rasping sound escaped her throat and she faded out of consciousness.   
"Megan!" Sebastien laid her on the ground and was about to run and yell for help when she woke up.  
"Seb!" She coughed, and a few droplets of blood showed up on the floor. "No! Don't…go."   
"Don't worry Megs, I'm here, I'm not going anywhere." He rushed to her side and scooped her up, thanking God he could lift her up. "I'm just going to put you on the bed, ohkay?" He gently carried her into the bedroom and tucked her in under the covers. "Megan…what's going on here?"   
"Nothing. I'm fine." She had regained her breath and the pain was beginning to recede.   
"You're not fine! You passed out!" Sebastien took a deep breath before starting again. "Something's wrong, and you're going to have to tell me, if you're not telling anyone else. You could get much worse Megs."  
She shivered before answering. This was a secret that could ruin her career- but then, Sebastien knew as well as she how important careers were. Besides, they way he was looking in her eyes…"It's been happening for…for a while now. I've never passed out before though…I thought I could stop it on my own." She reached out and grasped his wrist weakly, trying to gain the strength to explain it all. "If Gunns or Baits found out, they might tell me to stop playing. And Sebastien, you know they would if people here found out. I _have to play the Hamstead._ My family needs me too."   
"Your family? No, what matters here is _you_. They need you to be healthy more than they need a tennis star," explained Sebastien. _If only my family needed just that._  
"No…things haven't been going so well. After the charity banquet, my family started loosing money. My father says if I don't start going somewhere with tennis, we'll be bankrupt and I'll have to leave Cascadia. This tournament is everything Sebastien. But then…with you being so rich and all, you wouldn't know about that. It wouldn't matter if you quit tennis right now and dropped out of school."  
Sebastien cleared his throat. "Well…not quite. _Oh Dieu, comment est-ce que je dis ceci?_" He stared up at the ceiling. "I have a secret too. Do you remember all those nights I disappeared before the charity banquet? And the time you wanted to bring Adena to Arnie's for her birthday? And I wouldn't help you? Or the time we were supposed to do that Frankenstein project, but I went away for the week?"  
"Yes…but didn't you have a diplomatic function at the Ritz?" Asked Megan.  
"Actually…my dad works at Arnie's. I had to help him out so I could pay for the ticket to the dance. I couldn't bring you guys _or _Adena there in case someone recognized me…and I left Squib alone for that week because my dad couldn't pay rent. He pulled me out of school so we could just make the payment." Sebastien looked at the ground, hoping Megan wouldn't hate him for lying. After all, she _had _been just as rich as she said- just not recently.

"I guess we're in the same boat then," said Megan quietly. "My family needs me to win so they can keep living in their extravagance…"  
"And mine needs me to win so they can live," finished Sebastien sadly. 


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER TWO- SOLID GROUND  
**"All passengers please return their seats to the upright position and fasten their seatbelts. We will be landing in about ten minutes. The temperature is 10 degrees centigrade, and it is 5:00 AM."   
"Megs…Megs wake up, we're here." Sebastien shook Megan and helped her snap the seat back into place. He took a second to gaze at her face, still tired before a flight attendant asked him to put on his seatbelt. She smiled at them before walking back to the cockpit.   
"Sebastien?" Megan's gentle voice startled him. "Oh sorry- I didn't mean to bother you."  
"Not at all! I was just…lost in my thoughts," he answered.  
"What are your thoughts? Right now, I mean." Seb could tell by her voice that she wasn't prying, she just wanted to know.  
"Well…I'm scared. This is my first international tournament and I'm just not sure what to expect. Plus, I've never been this far from home before."  
Megan sat up. "I thought you emigrated from France? That's pretty far." Sebastian took a few moments before answering.  
"Oh…oh yea. That's different though- it's more of changing homes, than just being away from one." Megan nodded. "And I'm worried about you. Have you had pains like this before? Have you told anyone?"   
Now it was her turn to look away. "I have, and I haven't. I mean…my stomach has hurt like this before, and no one knows. I didn't want them to stop me playing tennis."  
Sebastien was about to answer when they felt the plane start to descend. As the plane touched ground, he felt a jolt of anticipation hit his heart. Who knew what was to come? A few minutes later the passengers started filing off. Megan and Sebastien took their bags and headed for Baggage Pick-Up. As Megan reached for her luggage case, Sebastien gently touched her arm and said, "Let me take it. You still look tired from the flight." Megan was about to refuse, before realizing that she really was fatigued. They rolled out of the baggage claim area into a huge empty space full of people.   
"Seb…where are we supposed to go?" asked Megan.  
"Oh uh…I was visualizing my backhand while Gunns was explaining everything," Sebastien explained sheepishly.  
"Seb! Now what do we do?" He shrugged and said, "Just stick with me. I think someone's supposed to meet us here." As they wandered off into the crowd, someone came up to them.  
"Are you O'Connor and Dubé?" They nodded. "I'm Matthew Williams, of the Hamstead Tournament Committee. How was your flight?"   
"Megan had-" Megan interrupted Sebastien, "I had a little motion sickness. I'm not used to flying." She tried to muster an ingratiating smile towards the man, but her effort failed after she saw the look on Sebastien's face. _I've got to explain this to him…but how?_  
Sebastien and Mr. Williams had an animated conversation about playing on grass vs. clay courts in the taxi, while Megan rested silently beside him. Every so often, she could feel his eyes falling on her tired face, but didn't have the energy to join in the conversation. She wished as hard as she could that they could be alone at the hotel.   
"Oh and the hotel we put you up with has quite a few courts to practise on. Of course, you'll be competing for space with the other Hamstead players, but we've taken over a tennis club nearby for the duration of the tournament. It's a short walk away," explained Mr. Williams.  
Soon enough, the taxi came to a stop outside a large building. Mr. Williams handed them both keys and helped them get their luggage out of the car. "See you tomorrow!" he waved after getting back into the taxi. Sebastien asked Megan if she was ohkay, and started to lug the bags into the lobby of the hotel.   
A bellhop popped out from a door right near the entrance and deftly piled the bags onto a cart. "Do you have a room reserved already?" he asked. Sebastien showed him the keys Mr. Williams had just given them, and the bellhop called down an elevator, helped them into it, and even pushed the correct floor button for them. As the doors began to close, he waved goodbye and stepped off the elevator.   
"That was weird," said Sebastien.  
"Should you be used to that Seb? After all, you get that kind of service at home all the time, right?" asked Megan.  
"Oh…oh yea. All the time." 

Ding! The elevator doors slid open and they got off. They were sleeping in room 733. Megan read a sign on the wall and turned left, as Sebastien followed her with the luggage on the cart. She turned the key and opened the door to an amazing suite. They saw a mini kitchen, beautiful bathroom, living area, and a huge bedroom with two beds all ready for them. "I could live here forever!" exclaimed Megan.  
"I know what you mean. This place is GREAT! Hey Megs, look at the view." Sebastien pulled her open to a huge window with a view of a lake. The sun was rising on the other side of it, and they could see the water sparkling in its wake.   
"It's beautiful. But…why's the sun just rising?"   
"We landed at 5:00 in the _morning _Megan! There's a full day ahead of us. But I suggest we both get a little sleep- I don't know about you, but that guy sitting in front of us was snoring to beat Rick. It wasn't exactly a restful flight," laughed Sebastien.  
"Ohhhh I know! He must have had a small animal up his nose or something, but I've never heard a noise like that before!" Megan tried to do an imitation of the horrible man but ended up collapsing in a fit of laughter. Sebastien's eyes glowed as they both cracked up right in the middle of the living room. He couldn't help but stare in wonder at how beautiful Megan looked when she was laughing. Then the smile slid off his face. Megan's laughter had transformed to something quite different. "Not…again!" Meg tried to stand up straight, but ended up moaning in pain and reaching for a something to hold on to as she fell towards the ground. Sebastien lunged for her and held her in his arms, trying to keep her calm. The pain in her stomach was gripping her insides and tearing at her lungs. A horrible rasping sound escaped her throat and she faded out of consciousness.   
"Megan!" Sebastien laid her on the ground and was about to run and yell for help when she woke up.  
"Seb!" She coughed, and a few droplets of blood showed up on the floor. "No! Don't…go."   
"Don't worry Megs, I'm here, I'm not going anywhere." He rushed to her side and scooped her up, thanking God he could lift her up. "I'm just going to put you on the bed, ohkay?" He gently carried her into the bedroom and tucked her in under the covers. "Megan…what's going on here?"   
"Nothing. I'm fine." She had regained her breath and the pain was beginning to recede.   
"You're not fine! You passed out!" Sebastien took a deep breath before starting again. "Something's wrong, and you're going to have to tell me, if you're not telling anyone else. You could get much worse Megs."  
She shivered before answering. This was a secret that could ruin her career- but then, Sebastien knew as well as she how important careers were. Besides, they way he was looking in her eyes…"It's been happening for…for a while now. I've never passed out before though…I thought I could stop it on my own." She reached out and grasped his wrist weakly, trying to gain the strength to explain it all. "If Gunns or Baits found out, they might tell me to stop playing. And Sebastien, you know they would if people here found out. I _have to play the Hamstead._ My family needs me too."   
"Your family? No, what matters here is _you_. They need you to be healthy more than they need a tennis star," explained Sebastien. _If only my family needed just that._  
"No…things haven't been going so well. After the charity banquet, my family started loosing money. My father says if I don't start going somewhere with tennis, we'll be bankrupt and I'll have to leave Cascadia. This tournament is everything Sebastien. But then…with you being so rich and all, you wouldn't know about that. It wouldn't matter if you quit tennis right now and dropped out of school."  
Sebastien cleared his throat. "Well…not quite. _Oh Dieu, comment est-ce que je dis ceci?_" He stared up at the ceiling. "I have a secret too. Do you remember all those nights I disappeared before the charity banquet? And the time you wanted to bring Adena to Arnie's for her birthday? And I wouldn't help you? Or the time we were supposed to do that Frankenstein project, but I went away for the week?"  
"Yes…but didn't you have a diplomatic function at the Ritz?" Asked Megan.  
"Actually…my dad works at Arnie's. I had to help him out so I could pay for the ticket to the dance. I couldn't bring you guys _or _Adena there in case someone recognized me…and I left Squib alone for that week because my dad couldn't pay rent. He pulled me out of school so we could just make the payment." Sebastien looked at the ground, hoping Megan wouldn't hate him for lying. After all, she _had _been just as rich as she said- just not recently.

"I guess we're in the same boat then," said Megan quietly. "My family needs me to win so they can keep living in their extravagance…"  
"And mine needs me to win so they can live," finished Sebastien sadly. 


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR- EXPLANATIONS  
**Megan put her head in Sebastien's lap. She turned so she could gaze into his face as they talked, and felt for his hand.   
"I'm the happiest girl in the world right now," confessed Megan.  
"And I'm the happiest boy! Wait- what'll I tell Squib?" asked Sebastien.  
"You can tell Furlong that it's time he followed in your footsteps and asked Cody out!" Megan pulled her hand out of Sebastien's and drew it across his cheek. "He doesn't know what he's missing."   
"And what'll you tell Adena?"  
"That I'm in love! She'll FREAK," said Megan. "What do you think Squib'll say?"  
Sebastien laughed. He put on a 'Squib-Face' and said, "Seb, my man! You're such a player!" Megan and Sebastien both laughed, mostly because although his imitation was accurate, Seb couldn't hide his accent.   
"You sound like a French gangsta!" cried Megan.  
"Hey! I can be gangsta!" Sebastien huffed up and…"Yo! Wassup, homie-g?"  
Megan took one look at him, and burst out laughing. "Yea, totally gangsta Sebastien!"  
"Whaaaaaat? Now I'm sad." He pulled the puppy-dog-face again and it just made Megan laugh more. "Hey! Get to bed! You have a match tomorrow O'Connor!" Seb tried his best to be serious.   
"Oh right, and you don't." Megan tried to argue more, but she realized the truth in Sebastien's words when she started to yawn mid-sentence. Both of them managed to stay awake long enough to put their stuff away, and find their toothbrushes and things. They took short showers and drifted off to sleep, on separate beds.   
When Megan woke up, it was 4:00 PM. She had slept for 10 hours and was fully refreshed, if not a little jetlagged. She made some hot chocolate in the kitchen and set it on Sebastien's bedside table. Then Megan lifted up his bed sheet and slipped in behind him, jolting the bed just enough to wake up.  
Sebastien let out a sleepy moan and turned around. "Megan!" He definitely was not expecting her there- they were the most conservative ones in the group. It might have come from needed to focus on the tennis as a livelihood more than as a sport you can play for fun. Megs smiled back at him and reached over to grab the hot mugs of chocolate. "We're not supposed to have chocolate…"  
"Come on Sebastien, we can break the rules once!" exclaimed Megan. Sebastien just looked at her in disbelief. "Ohkay fine…it's no-fat sugar-free hot chocolate in skim milk, but it's good enough!"  
Sebastien accepted the chocolate gratefully. They both sipped it slowly, until Megan broke the silence. "Sebastien…what's your story?"   
"_Mon histoire?" _he asked.  
"Uh…yea." She tried to repeat it, "_Moan iss-twah."_  
Sebastien put his cup down and chucked softly. "Good enough." Seb searched his memory for a good place to start. "When I was 13, my mom…she was sick. My dad had to work because she wasn't strong enough to hold a job, so I stayed at home and took care of her. We couldn't even afford a doctor. That summer…she got worse. She faded in and out…sometimes she didn't know who I am." Sebastien started to cry. Megan reached out for him, but didn't say anything. She knew he needed to continue. "One morning, she woke up and told me she was ready. She told me that she loved me, and to tell my father the same. I begged her to keep trying but…she was gone. After the funeral, my dad sold the house and we moved to Canada. He couldn't stand all the memories. I couldn't…I couldn't leave them. When we got here, I got the scholarship for Cascadia, and my dad got the job at Arnie's. He keeps trying to make things seem better but…" Sebastien wiped away his tears and continued talking. "It can't be. We needed her with us…and we left her behind. She's buried in France. But she'll be here…every time I step onto the court she's there with me. Maybe…this time, with the Hamstead my dad and I can get out this hole. I need this…for all of us."   
Megan held him for a long time. It was a little odd, because he was usually the one protecting her. Soon his body stopped shaking and the tears stopped falling. He exhaled and pulled back from Megan.   
"Now…it's your turn to tell me _ton histoire,_" he said, softly.   
Megan snuggled deeper into the bedspread. Gathering her thoughts, she began to speak. "I picked up my first racket when I was four. Adena was my best friend, and we started playing constantly. When I was 12, I got an agent. He found out about Cascadia, and a year later, Adena and I were rooming in the Swamp. Everything was fine until the night of the Charity Banquet- after I left, I got a call from my mom. She told me that the family was losing money, and the only way we'd be able to keep our house and keep me at Cascadia was if I started going somewhere with my career. For months, I tried to play my best tennis. I had to- you know? Then my dad called. He told me I was costing the family too much money. Then he cut off all contact…said he'd call when I sent a paycheck home. My mom tried to change his mind- she called to tell me everything would be fine if I just got into a tournament. When I didn't get the Junior Davis Cup, she stopped calling too. The whole time I was getting these stomachaches…always at night, and usually only twice a week. Then after my parents stopped talking to me, they got worse and more often. I freaked out. How was I going to win anything with an injury? And if I stopped playing tennis…I'd never be able to talk to my family again. When Gunns told me I got into the Hamstead, I realized how important it was. I called home to tell them…and my dad told me to come home if I won. _Only_ if I won." Megan leaned into Sebastien and a few tears slipped down her cheek. Seb held her tight and they both realized just how much they needed each other. 


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE- WHEN THE BED BUGS BITE  
**Megan and Sebastien ventured outside of their hotel room a few hours later. The reality was that even in the face of all their quiet desperation, they still had a tournament to win. They alone knew just how important the next two weeks would be- both their families depended on them to win. After stopping by the hotel front desk to ask directions, they took a walk down the road to a tennis club. Sebastien carried along his old tennis racket, looking with some envy at the other players and their clearly superior equipment. Megan saw a few parents hovering along the sidelines and prayed that she'd get to see her family after the tournament, and that they'd be willing to see her. They finally found an empty court, and started warming up.  
"Sebastien?" asked Megan.  
"Yea?"  
"I'm gonna cream you!" Megan jumped up and grabbed her racket.  
"Oh right! Not a CHANCE, O'Connor!" Sebastien raced across to the other side of the court, just in time for a ball to bounce right on the corner of the line and zoom past his head.  
"Whoa."   
"I told you I'd cream you!"   
Megan and Sebastien played their best tennis that day, revelling in their love of the game, and their love for each other. They could only hope that they played as well the next day- for their first match of the Hamstead Tournament.  
As the crickets and fireflies began to come out, they decided to turn in for the day. Most of the other players had already left, so they started the walk back to the hotel alone. Slowly all the stars came out to greet them, two lovers wrapped under a cloak of moonlight. They walked along in comfortable silence, until Megan's soft sobbing pierced the night.  
"Megan?" Sebastien turned around to face her, and took both her hands. In that moment, he understood how Squib had conquered his fears that night on Memphre Lake, and kissed Cody. Megan was beautiful, despite the tears that streaked her face and her soul. Sebastien released her hands and held her in the dark of the night, as she had done for him that very day. "You'll never be alone, my love."   
Megan and Sebastien made their way back to their hotel room and got ready for bed.   
"Megan? Are you sleeping?" asked Sebastien.  
"No…I just can't sleep. I'm too nervous…I'm too awake!" she replied.  
"Then…you want to come over here and talk for a little while?" There was silence while Megan contemplated the offer.  
"Sure. I can't just lie here all night!"  
Megs climbed over to Sebastien's bed, and got under the covers. For a while, they just talked about Cascadia and all their memories, their friends, their coach, the awful food. Eventually, they talked themselves to sleep.   
Sometime in the night, Sebastien dreamed of his mother. He was just about to reach out to her when he woke up. Megan's fingers were digging into his skin and she was trying to call his name. It only came out as a soundless whoosh of air, and each time she looked for scared. Sebastien sat up and jumped out of bed to Megan's bedside. For a split-second his mother's gentle face flashed behind his eyes, gasping for air the same way Megan was. Suddenly, the light in her eyes died and she fell back onto the pillow. A strangled cry escaped Sebastien's throat as he saw his mother lying there instead of Megan.   
"Megan! Wake up! Megan! You have to wake up!" Sebastien's woke from his waking nightmare and to get Megan to wake up. He checked for a pulse- but instead of none at all, he found her heart racing. Her chest was rising too fast, her body was beginning to shake and Sebastien had no idea what to do. His own heart was breaking when Megan's eyes opened and she yelled his name.  
"SEBASTIEN! SE-" she was looking around wildly for him when she saw him standing by their bed, tears streaming down his face.  
He took her hand and said, "Never, never do that again! Megan, you need to see a doctor! Please!"   
"I can't go. They'll kick me out of the tournament!"  
"Megs, you were practically having a seizure. What happens if this happens on the court? Or when you're alone? I can't lose you…" Sebastien's tears overtook his voice.  
"Seb…you're not going to lose me. I'm…I'm fine. It always stops after a little while after, and it doesn't even hurt in between. You know that no matter how sick I am, I have to play this tournament." Megan stopped after seeing the look on her love's face.  
"Oh Megan…" He couldn't explain to her why he was more shaken up than ever. He could only gaze at her, hoping she'd know just how much he needed her to be ohkay. Megan felt awkward under his eyes, and invited him back into the bed. This time, they slept with their arms wrapped around each other, thinking that maybe they could protect the other from any kind of harm. 


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX- THE HAMSTEAD**

The Hamstead Tournament began the next day. For the first time in months, Megan woke up that morning without raw fingers. It didn't mean that she wasn't nervous- she still listened to her 'Nice Girls Never Finish First" tape in the morning, and Sebastien organized his breakfast in alphabetical order. Sebastien's match started first, and then Megan's a few hours later. Way back at Cascadia, they'd made a pact to attend each other's games as much as they could, without interfering with their practise or their own games. So, they both headed for the Hamstead Stadium together. They called down a taxi, (Cascadia and the Hamstead Tournament Committee were footing the bill) and were on their way there.  
"Aren't you nervous Seb?" asked Megan.  
"I uh…what?"   
"I'll take that as a yes," she said.  
"Meg!" Sebastien turned to face her. "What if I lose?"   
Megan shook her head. "Com'on Seb! You're the French Prince, right? You're ranked as one of the best in our age group! I'm the one who's going to lose…"  
"You? Megan O'Connor, lose? What are the chances of that?" answered Sebastien.  
"Pretty high, if you think about it. Adena WAS three points ahead of me- I have no idea why they chose _me _to compete."   
"They chose you because you _would_ compete- you'd be a challenge to all the other players. Now don't worry- it's just our first match, after all," soothed Sebastien.  
"I guess so…but if we don't win this, there's no chance of-" Megan started freaking out.  
"Megs! Just relax. Pretend it's only a game during practise, back home at Cascadia."  
"All right…"  
Megan leaned into Sebastian and he put his arm protectively over her. Memories of the night before were still running through his mind, and he couldn't seem to forget. He bent down to kiss Megan's hair, before the taxi driver stopped the car.   
"We're here. You two players?" he asked.  
"What…oh yea. Yea, we're playing today," answered Sebastien.  
The man smiled. "Well good luck today."   
Megan stirred away from her thoughts to thank him, before they walked away from the cab. "What do we do?" she asked.  
"Hmmm…we can either try to find Mr. Williams from yesterday, or just figure it out for ourselves," he said. "But I think I see a sign…" So Sebastien and Megan walked toward the Player's Entrance, and Megan helped Seb warm up for his match. An hour later, they heard his name over the intercom.   
"Sebastien Dubé and Michael McCabe, please report to Court 4C." Sebastien turned pale and turned towards Megan.  
"Seb! Don't worry! You'll do fine- you've seen this guy play; you know where he's vulnerable. Besides, no one can return your ground strokes!" Megan tried to reassure him, and although the colour returned to his cheeks, he still looked scared out of his mind.  
"Megan…" Sebastien started. "I can't do this!"

"Don't be stupid, just go!" They both leaned in for a hug before he took a deep breath, and headed for the court. Megan watched him go and climbed up into the stands. She cornered a seat right by him, and smiled at him before settling down. Her own match fluttered across her mind, but she still had a few hours to go.  
"Mr. Dubé vs. Mr. McCabe."  
The match progressed quickly- Sebastien got the first point. Michael McCabe was a worthy opponent- but he made his weak points much too noticeable, and Seb took advantage of that. McCabe clearly knew this match would be his last in the Hamstead Tournament, and he let it get to him. He played like he'd already lost. By the end of the match, Sebastien was soaked with sweat, but focused and smooth. Megan got shivers going down her back watching him play- it was the first time he'd picked up a racket that made her fall in love with him. He had so much passion, so much power! It couldn't hurt that he was the best-looking guy on campus.   
"Match point for Mr. Dubé."  
Sebastien glanced up at the stands, where he knew Megan was sitting. He smiled at her before turning back to the game. He tossed the ball high into the air. His arm swung up, rotating around just in time to whip the ball over the net.   
"YEAAAAA!" All the spectators were standing- that was the most amazing ace they'd ever seen. Megan was jumping up and down in her seat, and after shaking hands with McCabe, he ran over to her and they kissed, right there in front of everyone. The crowd cheered and yelled for the young tennis star.  
Megan spoke quietly, "That was amazing Seb!"  
Sebastien could only smile and kiss her again, before grabbing his stuff and heading out of the court.  
"SEB! SEB! SEB!" Sebastien turned around wildly to figure out where the chant was coming from.   
"Megan!" He finally spotted the young woman coming down from the stands. He picked her up and spun her around, until he almost knocked another player over. "Sorry!"   
They ran over every great shot of the game on their way over to a spot near where Meg would be playing. They started to toss a few shots to each other, gradually increasing the speed and difficulty until Megan was all ready for her game. They were just sitting down for a short break when they heard Megan's name over the intercom.  
"Megan O'Connor and Jessica Choi please report to Court 17."  
Now it was Megan's turn to get nervous. She turned to Sebastien with wide-eyes. "I can't DO THIS Sebastien!"  
"Yes you can! Remember what you told me? You're an awesome player, you know you can beat this Jessica Choi," said Sebastien. "You've beaten stronger players. And besides, I'll be there the whole time, just in case. K?"  
Megan took a few deep breaths, and took hold of Sebastien. "You swear? You'll be there?"  
"The whole time. _Tous les temps._ Don't worry!" Sebastien gently untangled her fingers from his own, and looked into her eyes. "I'll never leave you."  
"All…alright then. I'm ready!" Seb smiled and waved good-bye as Megan headed out onto the court. This time, he was the one watching.  
"O'Connor vs. Choi." Sebastien nervously chose a seat, and leaned in towards the court. He could hear the commentary from a few TV reporters below him, and tried his best to tune it out. He couldn't ignore it when the camera came up beside him though.  
"Looks like young Megan O'Connor has company with her at this game. Her boyfriend, Sebastien Dubé is watching closely at the match, having just finished his own a little while ago. Dubé surprised the crowd with an amazingly powerful game. Hopefully, O'Connor can do the same." Sebastien flashed a small smile at the camera and turned back to the game, hoping they'd leave him alone.   
This game was much closer- Jessica Choi was from one of the other strong tennis academy's in China, and her training was just as intensive as Megan's. In the final set, they were at deuce. Choi was serving, and Megan was clearly getting a little bit nervous. Sebastien hoped it didn't interfere with her game. The ball flew over the net and went right by Megan before she could make a move.  
"Advantage, Choi." Choi bounced the ball in preparation for her serve, while Megan bounced on her toes on the other side of the court. The ball shot over the net, but this time Meg was ready. She shot forward to deliver a powerful volley, which went right by Choi.  
"Deuce."  
Megan prepared herself for the next serve. Sebastien prayed on the sidelines. This time, Megan returned the ball, but not fast enough. They rallied for a while before Megs slammed the ball down the centre of the court. The next point, Megan shot it down her opponent's throat so fast she never saw it coming.  
"Game, Megan O'Connor."  
"YES YES YES YES! Sebastien, did you see that? I won!" Seb jumped over the wall and enveloped her in a huge bear hug, much to the enjoyment of the crowd. Megan turned to wave at the crowd, her smile lighting up the whole court. Suddenly- the smile on her face faded.   
Sebastien turned to face her, "Megan, what's wrong?" She shook her head and ran towards the Player's Area. He picked up her racket and bags and ran off to follow her. When he reached the darkness of that area, he had to stop for a second to let his eyes adjust. "Megan? Megan? Where are you?" As soon as he could see, he ran forward, keeping an eye out for her. Sebastien ran around a corner and found her staring at something he couldn't see- and she looked scared.  
"Meg! What's wro-" he finally got a look at what she was staring at.   
"My…my father's here," she finally whispered. Sebastien put his arm around her shoulders, as if to create a shield between the two family members.  
"Are you Sebastien Dubé?" the man asked.  
Seb nodded. Megan reached instinctively for his hand.  
"You're my daughter's boyfriend?"  
He nodded again.  
"So you're the reason she decided to abandon her family, and keep playing tennis!" Megan's dad started yelling.  
"Dad! Stop! I kept at tennis because I love it- and because I think I can go somewhere with it." Megan's eyes pleaded with her father to step back.  
Sebastien cleared his throat. "Yes sir. She just won her match- it was an amazing game."  
Mr. O'Connor gave him a condescending stare. "I saw the match. She-" and he looked at Megan. "-Almost lost."   
Sebastien and Megan were lost for words. Not only were they not expecting Mr. O'Connor there, but they didn't expect him to be angry after her winning the match.   
"Dad, what are you doing here anyways? I thought you were at home…with mom?" Megs knew this was a delicate area, but she had to know why her dad had suddenly acknowledged her existence.  
"If you want to stay at Cascadia, I need to know it's not going to be a waste. But after this match, I've gathered all the information I need."  
"Dad!"  
"No. Megan, I don't think you understand just how much this family needs you. So…you are no longer a part of it. I'll be expecting reimbursement for the $60 000 a year you've cost us- three years worth." Megan started to talk, but he interrupted her. "And that's ALL I want to hear from you."   
Megan seemed to crumple under the weight of his words. She tried weakly to call to him, but couldn't seem to find the words. Sebastien led her over to a seat, and ran after Mr. O'Connor.  
"Sir! Please, Megan is going places with tennis, I swear. Even with this one match, there'll be endorsement offers, publicity, everything. Family is the most important thing to her, that's why she's here," Sebastien pleaded with him.   
Mr. O'Connor turned around to face him. He started to walk menacingly towards Seb, so that he was forced to walk back. "Family is important? No, to her, stupid teenage love lives are important. The only reason she stayed at Cascadia was because of you, wasn't it?" Seb was too afraid to answer. "WASN'T IT?"  
"No! Megan stayed because she needed to make it- for you!"   
"Oh, so she's doing this all for me, is it? You've been filling her head with crazy ideas of this far-off dream of being a tennis star, and you're bringing us all down with it." Sebastien had been backed into a wall- right next to where Megan was. "You TWO, you two have ruined us all!"   
"Please…sir, just give us a chance. I'm so sorry…"  
Mr. O'Connor flinched. "You're SORRY? Sorry doesn't fix it!" He raised his arm and Megan gasped-  
"Dad, no!"  
His fist collided with Sebastien's face before he could make a move. Seb heard a crack as it made contact- and then he felt something move in his head as it hit the wall behind him. He fell to the ground- barely conscious. But when Mr. O'Connor turned to Megan, he jumped up to protect her.   
"Don't ever touch her." Even through blood was streaming from his head, he looked more fierce than anything.   
Mr. O'Connor stepped back, and walked away. Sebastien fell back down to the ground, as Megan tried desperately to catch him.  
"Sebastien…I'm so sorry! He's never done anything like that before…" She grabbed her towel from her bag and tried to soak up the blood.   
"No…he was angry. He…" Seb didn't have the energy to keep talking. Megan cradled his head in her lap as she tried to stop the bleeding. Her tears mixed with the red liquid and they sat there for a long time, until the wound closed and Sebastien could stand up again.  
"Seb…it's ohkay. Just lean on me, and we'll get help." Megan started to walk, but Sebastien stopped her.  
"No. No, just call a cab. I'm fine."  
"You can't play like this…" Megan started.  
Sebastien didn't want to agree, but he had to. If he wanted to finish the tournament, he needed a doctor. Even as he thought this, he knew Megan needed one too. However, he knew this wasn't the time to ask her about that. They walked slowly until they could find a committee member. They were told to sit down, and wait for help.   
"Oh my…you're the young man needing a doctor, I suppose?" a small woman with a Scottish accent stood in front of the pair.  
Megan looked up at her, and back at Sebastien. "Yes…can you fix it?"  
The woman chuckled, and gently took the towel off of the wound. She examined it for a long time, before reaching into her rather large bag and pulling out a bandage and some spray. "This'll sting, but your wound will be cleaned." Sebastien nodded, and squeezed Megan's hand until the pain ebbed away. Then the woman wrapped his head with the bandages, finally handing him a small bottle of pills to take. "Take one of these for pain. They won't interfere with your game, I promise. But just to be sure- when is your next match?"   
Sebastien couldn't think back, so Megan answered the question. "Three days from now."  
The woman thought back, and nodded. "You'll be fine. Just keep changing the bandages. By that time, you won't even need to wear them. Don't practise today- and not until at least noon tomorrow. Otherwise, you'll aggravate the wound. Besides, I think you scrambled yourself up a little up there!" She laughed, and gently tapped his head. "I'll call you two a cab."   
When it finally came up, Megan helped him stand up and get into the car. Sebastien spent the cab ride with his head in Megan's lap, wincing every time the taxi was jolted. They made their way up to the room, and Megan helped him into the shower.   
"I'd help you with that too, but I don't think it would be appropriate." She blushed before walking out the door. "By the way, I left the door open in case you DO need any help."   
"Thanks Meg, " called Sebastien weakly.  
Megan smiled sadly before walking over to the door. She put all their things away, called down to the desk for some dinner, and walked over to the huge picture window. She watched the water for a long time, before Sebastien turned up behind her.   
"Oh! I didn't realize you were done…" she started.  
"No, no it's okay. It doesn't really hurt that much anymore. But would you help me change these wrappings? They're a little wet."   
Megan unwrapped the white cloth and replaced it. Their dinner arrived, and they ate, mostly in silence. Megan took a shower as Sebastien settled down into bed. They knew they'd have a lot to talk about before they went to bed.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN- LACKING IN SURPLUS**

Megan hesitated between the two beds. Sebastien laughed and said, "I'm not going to break if you go near me, you know? Just don't be whacking my head with a racket." Megs smiled before coming under the covers.   
"Sebastien…I'm so sorry!"   
"Naw…your dad had a right do that. He really believes in what he said- and from his point of view, it made sense," answered Seb.  
"Violence never makes sense," commented Megan.  
"No…I guess not. What I'm trying to say is, don't worry about this. I…I understand where he was coming. At least, as best I can."   
"Well, I don't. He had no reason to do this," started Megan. "When is it ever right to hurt someone I love?" Megan blushed as Sebastien glanced at her quickly, then turned away again. "Déjà vu?"   
"What do you mean?" asked Sebastien.  
"You pulled that move back when we got locked in the gym. I was hoping you were looking at me…" Megan stopped. "Wait- you were looking at me, weren't you?"   
"Yes of course! Who else would there be?" Sebastien looked a little embarrassed at his brash remark, but also a little proud that he'd been able to say it.  
Megan turned away from him and spotted a tiny TV in the corner of the room. "Did you see that there before?"  
"Didn't you? It's really small," said Sebastien.  
"Good enough. At least, we can get some local channels." Megan got up and rolled it closer to the bed. She picked up the remote and hopped back in with Sebastien. They stopped when they saw a familiar sight- Court 4C!  
The reporter started narrating with the picture. "This is the up-and-comer Sebastien Dubé, playing one of the first matches of the Hamstead Tournament. He beat Michael McCabe with a few well-placed serves, and plays again in three days. He celebrated after the match with his new girlfriend, another new player, Megan O'Connor." The picture on the screen changed from Sebastien's winning serve to him kissing Megan. They both glanced at each other before turning back to the screen. "Both hail from Cascadia Tennis Academy, and seem to be the new stars of the tennis world. Ms. O'Connor played Jessica Choi later in the day, and came back from a double deuce to scoop up an early win. However, O'Connor didn't stay to celebrate much- after Mr. Dubé came down from the stands to congratulate her, she ran off the court looking rather flustered. In other news of the Hamstead Tournament…" Sebastien turned off the TV, and turned to Megan.   
"What do I do, Seb? I'm just…so lost." Megan sighed. "My father's hurt the only guy I really love."  
"You don't need to do anything, Megs. I know you're sorry, even thought you don't need to be. I also know why your dad did…" he motioned to his head, "this. I love you all the same…and we'll find a way to fix this. Together."   
"Thanks Seb…I just hope I don't get any of these stomach pains in the middle of a match. I have one in two days, right? I've been worrying so much it might just come up right there," said Megan anxiously.  
"Megs, you'll do fine. If something like that happens on the court, well…you've already got the media attention. There will be endorsement deals and everything, just with this first match." Sebastien didn't want to mention her spot on TV- it seemed like a rather touchy subject.  
"I…I guess." Megan sighed again and leaned her head on Sebastien's chest. "It's been a long day…I should go to bed."  
"Alright…but if you need to talk, I'll be right here." Seb looked at Megan, before realizing that he was literally, right next to her. "Uh…I mean, I'm ready to talk."  
Meg laughed and reached to their bedside table to turn off their lamp. She pulled the covers up and snuggled up with Sebastien.   
"Megs?" asked Sebastien quietly.  
"Yea?"  
"Goodnight."  
"Oh yea…goodnight Seb."  
Sebastien yawned and they both fell asleep. A few minutes later, the phone rang. Seb moaned and answered.  
"Salut?"  
"Is this Mr. Dubé?" a courteous voice asked.  
"Ahh…yes," he answered.  
"You have a phone call. Since it's quite late in the night, I'm required to ask if you wish to accept it."  
"Oh, ohkay. I mean yes, I'll accept," said Sebastien. Megan woke up and looked over Sebastien's shoulder.  
"Thank you, Mr. Dubé. The caller would like to ask you to put on the speaker. Just press the blue button on the phone."   
"Thanks." He searched the buttons on the phone, and found the speakerphone button. He put down the handset and said tentatively, "Hello?"  
"SEBASTIEN!" Seb jumped back and almost crushed Megan.   
"Sorry Megs!" he cried.  
"Seb, what was that?" she asked.  
"Uhh…someone's on the phone, Megs," he answered. They both turned towards the phone and stared.  
"MEGAN!" Then someone in the background said, "Come on guys, move it, move it!"   
Sebastien and Megan looked at each other. "Coach Gunnerson!"   
"Yes, O'Connor. We saw you two on TV. I hope I didn't make a mistake putting you two in the same room?"   
Sebastien cleared his throat and answered. "No sir, not at all."   
Then Squib's voice came across the phone, "Seb, my man! You're such a player!"   
Megan and Seb started laughing as they remembered Sebastien's failed attempt at imitating Squib the night before. "Hey, what's so funny guys?" asked Squib.  
"Nothing, nothing!" Megan said. "Hey, where's Dena?"  
"Right here, Megs! I can't believe you hooked up with Sebas-" they heard Gunnerson giving her a warning in the background. "I mean, you guys are so cute together!"  
Sebastien cut in to their conversation, "You guys need to see the look on Megan's face right now!"   
Megan cuffed him over the head. "Aie! What did you do that for Megs?"  
"What do you mean, the look on my face?" she asked indignantly.  
"Nothing…you just look so beautiful, all happy like this," he said.  
Cody's voice came over the speaker. "Guys, don't get all mushy on us now."   
"How can I resist?" said Sebastien.   
Coach Gunnerson got a hold of the phone again. "We heard you left the court a little quickly. Is anything wrong?"   
Sebastien looked at Megan. She shook her head and spoke. "No Coach. Nothing's wrong." Seb pulled her away from the phone, telling them to wait for a little while.   
He turned towards her, "Are you sure you don't want to tell them? They're our friends- you know you can trust them. All of them."   
"No Seb. Not until after the Hamstead. Especially after today…if Gunns found out, he might talk to my father, and that would just make him more angry."  
"Megan, it might end up helping, more than hurting."  
Megan touched his head. "It's hurting already, isn't it?" She turned away from him and walked back towards the phone.  
"Megan, what's wrong?" asked Adena.  
"Nothing, Dena. I'm…" Sebastien was walking bed to join her. "I'm…"  
"Megan?" asked Sebastien worriedly.  
"Oh…no!" Megan was doubled over in pain. She moaned and reached for Seb's hand as he rushed to her side.  
Cody was speaking from the phone, "Guys, what's going on?"  
Megan's face was contorted with pain as she tried to reassure her. "Nothing, I'm just having a…stomach ache."   
They could hear Coach Gunnerson telling Top Gun to go back to their rooms. When he got back on the phone, it was just him. "O'Connor, are you alright?"  
Sebastien saw that she couldn't answer and spoke in a strangled voice, his worries seemed to be stuck in his throat. "Coach, Megan's been having bad stomach pains for a while. Her dad showed up today…"  
Megan's eyes widened as she heard those words. "Sebastien…no!"  
Gunns sounded surprised. "Her father? What happened?"  
As much as Sebastien wanted to tell him about that day to help Megan, he knew this wasn't the time. "Coach, what do I do! We can't tell anyone, Megan needs to compete in this tournament!"  
"Look, get O'Connor to lie down. Stay with her. If…" Megan let out another moan.   
"Please, Seb!" she pleaded.   
"Coach, call back. Tomorrow. I have to go." Sebastien hung up the phone and focused on Megan. "Megan please, lie down. Breathe!" He pulled the covers back and laid her on the bed. She took a few deep breaths and grabbed his hand. He whispered to her and wiped away her tears until the pain went away. "Oh God Megan, I'm so sorry…"  
"Now what do we do?" 


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT- FLYING ANGELS  
** It was, to say the least, a tiring night. Megan and Sebastien went to bed late, too tired to talk about their phone conversation with Top Gun back at Cascadia. This time, Sebastien woke up early. He gently lifted Megan's arm off from around his waist, and lovingly tucked her in. He gazed at her face, emotions stirring inside. Sebastien was so happy that she was with him. Then again, he'd just spilled her secret to Coach Gunnerson and been hurt by her father. Plus, there were her mysterious stomach pains. As Sebastien puttered around the kitchen, his only consolation was that, "at least, she didn't pass out last night."   
Sebastien found a lot of food in the fridge- courtesy of the Hamstead Tournament Committee. He cracked open some eggs and created the richest tasting omelettes for them both- and still relatively healthy. Still steaming, he carried the plates of food to their bedroom. Megan rolled over when she heard him come in.   
Sebastien smiled at her and settled in beside her. "I hope you like eggs."   
Megan took her plate and sleepily attacked the omelette. She took one bite and grinned at Seb. "These are so…good!"  
"It's true about the French- we CAN cook, you know," said Sebastien.   
"Awww Seb!" She dropped her fork and stopped Sebastien from swallowing his piece. "These ARE good to eat during a tournament- aren't they?"  
He loosened her grip and smiled at her again. "Of course! I haven't just forgotten about the Hamstead, you know."   
"Well…ohkay. It's just, we had hot chocolate our first night too," said Megan.  
"Don't worry…it won't mess up your game." Sebastien chuckled when he saw the worried look on her face. "Like anything could!"  
"I just hope your wound doesn't touch your game," said Megan. "Although, the doctor said it'd be ohkay by today."  
"It's just a little sore, Megs. I'm probably fine to play right now!" he replied.  
"Well…just in case."   
Megan and Sebastien stayed in their room talking about safe topics- Cascadia, the tournament, favourite foods, and weird stories from when they were little. As soon as the clock hit noon, Sebastien jumped up and disappeared. He showed up a few seconds later with both their rackets and a huge grin on his face.  
"Let's play!"   
Megan laughed and followed him down to the tennis club down the road. They practised for a few hours, before a quick dinner, shower, and nighttime struck again.   
Tonight, they spoke in random moments, all professions of their love for each other. They'd never felt so comfortable with each other before! Slowly, the night waned and they fell asleep together. Sebastien woke up in the middle of the night to check on Megan- no stomach pains tonight. He turned around and they snuggled closer together. Then he heard a knock on the door.  
"Seb…go get the door," said Megan tiredly.  
"Mphmmm…" he replied.  
"Sebastien…go answer the door!" she said.

"Okay, okay. I'll go…" he drifted off and fell back asleep. Megan was about to poke him, until a new wave of exhaustion washed across her and she fell asleep too, deep in each other's arms. The knocker went away- until a few minutes later. The two sleepers were oblivious to the newcomer in their room, who prowled around before stopping in the doorway to their bedroom.  
"Ahem." The intruder coughed. "Ahem!" No answer. "Ms. O'Connor, Mr. Dubé!"  
They both opened their eyes slowly and turned towards the person. "Coach Gunnerson!" Then they were reminded of the precarious situation and let go of each other.   
Neither of them could make eye contact with their coach, so he started talking. "I got one of the committee members to clear me into your room. I hope I," he coughed again, and looked a little anxious, "didn't interrupt anything."  
Megan's eyes rose to meet Coach Gunnerson's. Then she realized- she and Sebastien hadn't done anything THAT wrong at all- short of sharing a bed. "No sir, you didn't interrupt anything."  
Sebastien felt a need to clarify. "We were just sleeping. It is night, and all."  
The coach nodded and sat down on the other bed. "Sorry to wake you- this was the only flight I could get, and it landed at night."  
The couple were still mystified. Megan asked first, "No disrespect sir, but what are you doing here?"  
He sighed and adjusted the ever-present white cap. "I got a call from your father, O'Connor." Megan looked down and Sebastien put his arm around her again. "He said you were not going to be staying with us at Cascadia. When Mr. Dubé here mentioned he was here, I got a feeling your exit was not voluntary."  
Sebastien struggled for words. "Why…why did you come all the way here though? Don't you have to be at Cascadia?"

"I got a day off. President Bates will be taking over for me tomorrow. Besides, I took a special interest in your situation, Megan."  
Megan seemed to be coming back to life. "Me, sir?"  
The coach hesitated for a moment. "Yes, you. Seeing as you two are," he motioned to the shared bed and Sebastien's arm around Megan, "quite close, does this mean you are both fully aware of each other's stories?"  
The way he had used the same word that they'd use was striking- if he's said _votre histoires_ it couldn't have been more real. They both nodded, and Megan's hand came up to meet Sebastien's. They knew some difficult explanations were coming.  
"Then I'll start. A coach has to know more than a player's physical background, you know. O'Connor, I've seen your raw fingers the day of a match. Dubé- I've seen you sneaking back on campus late at night, with your father standing on the other side of the fence."  
Sebastien looked up at Gunnerson. "You…knew?" He nodded. "For how long?"  
"For a long time. Since you had decided to keep this a little secret, I thought I should keep it to myself, until you were ready to let people know." Sebastien thought about this and was amazing at Gunnerson's foresight- he realized that keeping Seb's secret was the best and most respecting thing to do.  
Megan spoke up next, "How much do you know about me?"  
"I know that you've been having problems with your nerves and your parents. Apart from that…" he seemed to wake up a little bit. "What happened when your father came here?"  
Megan shifted her position and squeezed Sebastien's hand a little tighter. He held her close and let her start talking.  
"I saw him in the stands after my match. I didn't know he was going to be there, so I ran off the court when I saw him coming. He met me in the Player's Area, and…" she swallowed and leaned into Sebastien.   
He started talking for Megan when he saw she couldn't go on. "I tried to follow Megs out, but I lost her once I got off the court. Then I ran around a corner and she was there, and so was Mr. O'Connor. He WAS angry…and then…" Sebastien couldn't keep talking either.  
"And then…?" Coach Gunnerson was using the softest voice they'd ever heard coming from him.  
Seb cleared his throat and began again. "Then he said…"  
Megan interrupted. "He said that I almost lost the game, and he wasn't going to pay for Cascadia or anything related to tennis. He said I was abandoning the family…and I wasn't- wasn't part of it anymore. I have to pay him back for all the money he spent on Cascadia."  
Coach Gunnerson had a pained look on his face. "He said you weren't part of the family?"  
Megan nodded. The coach asked them to continue. Sebastien took on the rest of the story. "I tried to keep him from leaving- to reconsider. He said I was the reason Megan kept on playing tennis and- he believed- she was abandoning the family. Then he…" Sebastien thought better of what he was going to say and gently untangled his fingers from Megan's. He unwrapped the bandage binding his wound and bowed his head. Gunnerson looked to Megan, whose eyes were locked with Sebastien's.   
Gunnerson looked to Megan. "Your father…did this?" He said it gently, so Megan would know he wasn't passing any judgement on her. She nodded again.   
Sebastien re-wrapped his head and kissed the top of Megan's head. She wrapped her arms around his waist and slipped deeper under the covers. Then she caught a glance at the clock- it was 2AM. "Coach, I can't believe you came all the way here. It just seems so…far-fetched an idea. And don't get me wrong; I'm so grateful you came! I just have a game tomorrow. I need to sleep."   
Coach Gunnerson looked surprised. "Oh! Oh yea…the Hamstead. Yes, get your sleep. That's important. I'll just…I'll just bunk over here." He gestured to the other bed. "Right next to you guys."   
Sebastien yawned and said, "Ohkay coach."   
Megan turned over and slipped back down into bed. They could both hear the coach puttering around in the bathroom, and silently get into the bed next to them. The minutes ticked by, both of them thinking the other was sleeping, both of them lying there with their eyes wide open. The coach wasn't sleeping either- he could barely comprehend what had taken place in the few days his player's had been away. The clock struck 3AM, and one by one, they all dozed off.   
Megan's eyes flew open in the middle of the night. Sharp pains in her stomach had interrupted her dreamless sleep and were tearing at her insides. Her nails dug into Sebastien's skin as the pain increased. "Seb! Seb! Please…help."   
Sebastien woke up and turned on the bedside lamp. "Megan!" He sat up and leaned over her, trying to keep her body down on the bed. He smoothed back her hair and yelled for Coach Gunnerson. "Coach! Megan's in pain! COACH!"  
Coach Gunnerson jumped out of bed and stood by the bed. He spoke to Megan quietly, calmly. "Megan, you have to breathe. Try to stay calm, Megan. Just breathe!"  
Megan was starting to cry in pain. She tried her best to stay aware, but she could feel her consciousness slipping away. Sebastien looked at Megan's pain-stricken face and was reminded once-again of his mother's last days. He took in a breath and paused for a second. The coach looked at him for a second, "Sebastien?" He shook his head and swallowed deeply.   
Sebastien looked back at Megan. She hadn't had such a bad spasm in a few days, and he could see her slipping away. He joined Coach Gunnerson in the chant, "Come on Megan! You need to keep awake! Please!"  
Megan couldn't even hear them above her heartbeat. It was pounding in her ears, clamouring for space in her mind over the pain ripping through her stomach. She could see both men hovering over her bed, and she didn't understand why they couldn't stop the pain. Then her vision darkened, and she let out a moan. Megan knew she had to hold on, but soon enough, she was floating in a dark sea of clouds.  
Sebastien cried out when Megan flew away from them. Coach Gunnerson didn't know what to do- he couldn't tell the authorities, as much as he wanted to. Megan needed her family back, and to do that, she needed to play the Hamstead. Sebastien was clearly dealing with a few demons of his own, demons that seemed to haunt him more whenever Megan had a spasm. The coach was at a loss to help his players, for the first time in his career.  
Sebastien saw Megan lying there, too still. This time, he gently climbed back onto the bed. He pulled Megan's head into his lap and lovingly ran his hand along her arm. He gazed at her face, mumbling quietly about how much he loved her and needed her to wake up.   
"Look, Sebastien, I'm not sure that's going to work. She won't…" Coach Gunnerson stopped talking and Megan moved.   
Her eyes fluttered open and she said, "Love is like magic, Coach." She could already feel the pain ebbing away, until it was finally gone. She sighed in relief, and turned to Sebastien. His face was pale and he was deathly silent. "What's in your head, Seb?"  
He looked at Megan and smoothed out her hair. "My mother."


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER TEN- COACH COMES THROUGH  
** "Megan O'Connor, please report to Court 7 immediately. Megan O'Connor, to Court 7 immediately."   
Sebastien paced the player's area as Coach Gunnerson peeked out onto the court once more. "Where IS she?"  
"Be patient Mr. Dubé…she may be dealing with some nerves," said Coach Gunnerson.  
"She can't miss this game though! What if something happened to her? What if she's hurt?" Sebastien worried.  
"I'm sure she is aware of that. She'll show up, O'Connor wouldn't miss out on this," assured Gunns.   
"Where did she go, anyways?"   
"I'm not quite sure. She said she was going to check the standings, but then she disappeared," explained Coach Gunnerson.  
"She could be in danger." Sebastien seemed to jump up, even though he was already standing. "I'm going to go look for her."  
A voice came out from a hallway to the left of Sebastien and Coach Gunnerson. "There's no need. I'm here."  
"O'Connor! Get out there, you're going to miss your game!" yelled Gunns.  
"Sorry sir! I got lost."   
"No time for explanations Megs! Go uhh…kick butt! I'll be watching, love," said Sebastien.  
Megan waved good-bye as she ran onto the court, 10 minutes late for her match.  
"O'Connor vs. Mishna. Service, Ms. Mishna."   
Although Megan was extremely nervous, it was obvious that Ekaterina Mishna was definitely more so. She shook before sending the ball spiralling away from the service box.   
"Out!" Ekaterina looked out into the stands, and sent the ball hesitatingly across the net. Megan slammed it back to her, and couldn't resist a tiny smile.   
Sebastien grinned back at her and turned to Gunns. "How did Mishna get to the quarter-finals?"  
"She had an easy opponent in the first round. Make no mistake- Mishna is a wonderful player, but she has severe anxiety problems. Last year, she almost won the whole Hamstead Tournament- in the finals, she collapsed during the last set. The doctors diagnosed her with anxiety and recommended she play the game on a recreational level. Her parents and her coach refused, saying she had too much talent to waste on nerves," explained Coach Gunnerson.  
"How do you know all this?" asked Sebastien.  
"Her coach was my friend. After Ekaterina was diagnosed, we had a huge argument about her career. I thought she should stop, lest things get worse. Her mental problems were putting a huge amount of stress on her, which translated to physical pain and suffering for her. Ekaterina didn't need to play- she could stop right this moment, and still have a home to go to."  
At Gunnerson's words, Sebastien turned. "Unlike Megan."   
Gunnerson looked toward the battle on court. "Yes. Unlike Megan."   
"Are you trying to tell me something here, coach?" suggested Sebastien.  
"I think tennis, is the root of Megan's troubles. And yours," said Coach Gunnerson heavily.  
"Tennis? Tennis is solving our problems! Without it, I'd still be in France, probably in the streets. And Megan would have no chance of regaining her family."  
"And yet, Megan wouldn't have lost her family if she hadn't played," said the coach.  
"Stopping tennis wouldn't have saved my mother," said Sebastien bitterly.  
"No- but after she was taken from you, you moved to Canada. So you could play, and save your family from the streets. It's placed a rather large burden on you, don't you think? Especially without having had the chance to grieve your mother's death," said Coach Gunnerson.  
"And Megan?"  
"Megan doesn't seem to express herself much, Mr Dubé." He paused. "Do you agree?"  
Sebastien nodded.  
"I think…" and he struggled with this part. "That all the pain she's hiding- the need to play for something more than recreation is coming out in quite unsatisfactory ways."  
"What kind of ways?" asked Sebastien nervously.  
"Physical ways. Her spasms seem to be her version of Ekaterina's collapse. I believe…if she cannot deal with her anxiety, they'll get worse."  
"How do we do that?"  
"We can't. Her anxiety stems from her family, which I know at the moment to be very against talking. At the moment, I don't see a way out…" Coach Gunnerson sighed. "And as a coach, I don't know how to fix this."   
Sebastien was now weeping quiet tears of distress. "You have to coach…I can't lose her again!"  
"Lose whom"  
"The woman I love." He turned towards the court, and through his tears, felt his heart break as Megan pounded it out.   
"Don't worry Sebastien…we'll find a way."  
"How?"   
"I'm not sure. In Ekaterina's case, the answer was clear. Tennis was hurting more than helping her. In Megan's case- it's hurting her and yet…if she stops playing she'll lose her family. And that will hurt her more." Coach Gunnerson looked out at the court. "I just don't know what to do."  
"Match point for Ms. O'Connor."  
Sebastien and Coach Gunnerson both looked up, surprised. Sebastien hastily wiped away his tears and gave her a thumbs up as she readied herself for Ekaterina's serve. Sebastien whispered to himself, "We'll find a way, Megs. There's no way I'm letting you go."   
Coach Gunnerson heard his whispered vow and his heart sunk as he realized, for this first time in his coaching career, he didn't know how to help his students.   
"Match, Ms. O'Connor. Megan O'Connor will be advancing to the semi-finals on Thursday of this week."   
Megan ran over to Sebastien and Coach Gunnerson, hugging Sebastien in all her glory. She took a step back. "Seb…are you okay?" She gently caressed his face as he nodded.  
"Yes, I'm fine. I just…need a moment." He ran away and Coach Gunnerson joined Megan on the court. They gathered her things, and for the second time, ran off the court.   
They found him waiting for her. "What's wrong Seb?" asked Megan.  
He took a deep breath. "You have to stop playing tennis, Megan." 


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN- COACH COMES THROUGH  
** "Megan O'Connor, please report to Court 7 immediately. Megan O'Connor, to Court 7 immediately."   
Sebastien paced the player's area as Coach Gunnerson peeked out onto the court once more. "Where IS she?"  
"Be patient Mr. Dubé…she may be dealing with some nerves," said Coach Gunnerson.  
"She can't miss this game though! What if something happened to her? What if she's hurt?" Sebastien worried.  
"I'm sure she is aware of that. She'll show up, O'Connor wouldn't miss out on this," assured Gunns.   
"Where did she go, anyways?"   
"I'm not quite sure. She said she was going to check the standings, but then she disappeared," explained Coach Gunnerson.  
"She could be in danger." Sebastien seemed to jump up, even though he was already standing. "I'm going to go look for her."  
A voice came out from a hallway to the left of Sebastien and Coach Gunnerson. "There's no need. I'm here."  
"O'Connor! Get out there, you're going to miss your game!" yelled Gunns.  
"Sorry sir! I got lost."   
"No time for explanations Megs! Go uhh…kick butt! I'll be watching, love," said Sebastien.  
Megan waved good-bye as she ran onto the court, 10 minutes late for her match.  
"O'Connor vs. Mishna. Service, Ms. Mishna."   
Although Megan was extremely nervous, it was obvious that Ekaterina Mishna was definitely more so. She shook before sending the ball spiralling away from the service box.   
"Out!" Ekaterina looked out into the stands, and sent the ball hesitatingly across the net. Megan slammed it back to her, and couldn't resist a tiny smile.   
Sebastien grinned back at her and turned to Gunns. "How did Mishna get to the quarter-finals?"  
"She had an easy opponent in the first round. Make no mistake- Mishna is a wonderful player, but she has severe anxiety problems. Last year, she almost won the whole Hamstead Tournament- in the finals, she collapsed during the last set. The doctors diagnosed her with anxiety and recommended she play the game on a recreational level. Her parents and her coach refused, saying she had too much talent to waste on nerves," explained Coach Gunnerson.  
"How do you know all this?" asked Sebastien.  
"Her coach was my friend. After Ekaterina was diagnosed, we had a huge argument about her career. I thought she should stop, lest things get worse. Her mental problems were putting a huge amount of stress on her, which translated to physical pain and suffering for her. Ekaterina didn't need to play- she could stop right this moment, and still have a home to go to."  
At Gunnerson's words, Sebastien turned. "Unlike Megan."   
Gunnerson looked toward the battle on court. "Yes. Unlike Megan."   
"Are you trying to tell me something here, coach?" suggested Sebastien.  
"I think tennis, is the root of Megan's troubles. And yours," said Coach Gunnerson heavily.  
"Tennis? Tennis is solving our problems! Without it, I'd still be in France, probably in the streets. And Megan would have no chance of regaining her family."  
"And yet, Megan wouldn't have lost her family if she hadn't played," said the coach.  
"Stopping tennis wouldn't have saved my mother," said Sebastien bitterly.  
"No- but after she was taken from you, you moved to Canada. So you could play, and save your family from the streets. It's placed a rather large burden on you, don't you think? Especially without having had the chance to grieve your mother's death," said Coach Gunnerson.  
"And Megan?"  
"Megan doesn't seem to express herself much, Mr Dubé." He paused. "Do you agree?"  
Sebastien nodded.  
"I think…" and he struggled with this part. "That all the pain she's hiding- the need to play for something more than recreation is coming out in quite unsatisfactory ways."  
"What kind of ways?" asked Sebastien nervously.  
"Physical ways. Her spasms seem to be her version of Ekaterina's collapse. I believe…if she cannot deal with her anxiety, they'll get worse."  
"How do we do that?"  
"We can't. Her anxiety stems from her family, which I know at the moment to be very against talking. At the moment, I don't see a way out…" Coach Gunnerson sighed. "And as a coach, I don't know how to fix this."   
Sebastien was now weeping quiet tears of distress. "You have to coach…I can't lose her again!"  
"Lose whom"  
"The woman I love." He turned towards the court, and through his tears, felt his heart break as Megan pounded it out.   
"Don't worry Sebastien…we'll find a way."  
"How?"   
"I'm not sure. In Ekaterina's case, the answer was clear. Tennis was hurting more than helping her. In Megan's case- it's hurting her and yet…if she stops playing she'll lose her family. And that will hurt her more." Coach Gunnerson looked out at the court. "I just don't know what to do."  
"Match point for Ms. O'Connor."  
Sebastien and Coach Gunnerson both looked up, surprised. Sebastien hastily wiped away his tears and gave her a thumbs up as she readied herself for Ekaterina's serve. Sebastien whispered to himself, "We'll find a way, Megs. There's no way I'm letting you go."   
Coach Gunnerson heard his whispered vow and his heart sunk as he realized, for this first time in his coaching career, he didn't know how to help his students.   
"Match, Ms. O'Connor. Megan O'Connor will be advancing to the semi-finals on Thursday of this week."   
Megan ran over to Sebastien and Coach Gunnerson, hugging Sebastien in all her glory. She took a step back. "Seb…are you okay?" She gently caressed his face as he nodded.  
"Yes, I'm fine. I just…need a moment." He ran away and Coach Gunnerson joined Megan on the court. They gathered her things, and for the second time, ran off the court.   
They found him waiting for her. "What's wrong Seb?" asked Megan.  
He took a deep breath. "You have to stop playing tennis, Megan." 


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN- HIDDEN HEROS**

Megan jerked away from Sebastien. "Quit tennis? Are you crazy? Tennis is my life! You know I need this more than anyone!" She was seething in hot anger.  
"You don't understand!" said Sebastien quietly.  
"Damn right I don't understand! You want me to never see my family again? Is that what you want? How can you SAY THAT?" she yelled.  
"Please Megan, you have to listen to me!"   
"Listen to you say what? I think you've said enough already." She turned to walk away, but stopped in her tracks.  
"O'Connor, Mr. Dubé may have a point," cut in Coach Gunnerson.  
"Excuse me?" She turned, and the coach took a step back. "He does NOT have a point. If I quit playing, I'll never be able to see my family again. I'll never be able to step onto a court again! Tennis is keeping me ALIVE."   
Without looking up, Sebastien muttered something under his breath, just loud enough for Megan and Coach Gunnerson to hear. "And at the same time, it's killing you."  
"What?" She was still burning with rage, but it had cooled down. Somewhat.  
"Didn't you wonder why you were beating Ekaterina Mishna so badly?" He hastened to add to his statement. "Apart from your amazing tennis skills."  
"Don't try to butter me up, Sebastien," she spat out.  
"I'm not! She'd been in the Hamstead last year, but she passed out in the finals. The doctors said it was because she had anxiety, and advised her coach and parents to stop her playing tennis," started Sebastien.  
"What does this have to do with me?" asked Megan, starting to soften. Coach Gunnerson merely eyed the couple warily.  
"I think- and so does Coach Gunnerson- that your spasms come from anxiety. It's hurting you Megan, and I can't stand that." Before Megan could reply, he started talking again. "Ekaterina had a choice- she could have stopped playing tennis and saved herself from a lot of pain. Both emotional and physical. The difference between you two is that your choice is a lot more difficult. Family versus your health- and I can't bear you losing either one. But if you get so sick from this that you can't play, you've lost both things. And I've lost you." He exhaled, and cautiously took Megan's hand. She didn't resist. "I can't lose you."   
She looked into his eyes, memorizing his face and everything about him before speaking. "I can't stop playing Sebastien, I can't." Soft tears fell from her beautiful eyes before she turned and walked away from the love of her life. Sebastien was crying too, not because she was walking away, but because she'd chosen family over everything. Even though she'd been abandoned by them, Megan had decided to sacrifice herself for them. Sebastien could only wipe away his tears and stand in awe of her great selflessness.   
Coach Gunnerson too was amazed by Megan's choice. The past few days had indeed taught him a lot- about himself, and about his students. Then a jolt of reality shot him- where was Megan GOING? Without a word, he started to follow her down the hallway.  
Sebastien grabbed his arm, "No. She needs time to think this over." He looked resigned to the situation, but also very lost.  
"She may not come back," stated Coach Gunnerson bluntly.  
"If she doesn't, she'll have thought it through and that will be what she wants, and what is best. I trust her to make the smartest decision," said Sebastien.  
"This is a difficult decision."   
Sebastien sighed and turned back to the court, now empty of all spectators. "We have to trust her Coach. There is no other way. If she cannot decide, it is our responsibility to help." He turned away again. "I shouldn't have pushed my opinion on her before explaining."   
"You were only interested in what was right for her. In times like these, we are allowed to lose our minds a few times," said Coach Gunnerson.  
"In times like these, we can't afford to lose our minds." Sebastien picked up his backpack from where he'd tossed it on the floor, and walked away. He hopped in a cab and headed for the tennis club to practise. In his head, he hoped to find Megan there. In his heart, he knew she needed time alone. As he pounded out his thoughts on the helpless tennis balls, his head was filled with all that had happened in the last few days. Each ball was a memory and vow, "This is for my first game, I will not lose. This is for Megan's dad, I will not step back. This is for Coach Gunnerson; I will not make hasty decisions. This is for dad, I will not fail you." For the third time that day, tears filled his eyes and he wound up for the next few balls. "This is for Megan…and mom." The racket exploded against the ball and he promised, "I will never let you down."   
Megan thought about retreating to the hotel room, but that idea was quickly burnt out as she realized she shared it with two other people. Who BOTH wanted her to quit tennis. She decided to run back- it would take her a while, but that would give her time to train and think. Megan got into her pace pretty quickly- she had gotten used to the difficult standards she needed to meet. How could they expect her to decide between her family and her health?   
Coach Gunnerson also thought about the hotel room. Instead, he headed for the hotel café and sat in a corner, trying to escape his thoughts. He had almost succeeded when a noise brought him back to the café.   
"Coach Gunnerson?" He turned and saw Ekaterina Mishna standing behind him, still clutching her racket from the match.  
He swallowed his coffee and tried to keep the astonishment out of his voice. "Mishna? What are you doing here?"  
She laughed. "All the players are staying in this hotel, Coach. I saw you at my match. Megan O'Connor is your student, isn't she?"   
"Yes…I'm still at Cascadia," he answered.  
"I heard. She's quite a player…and her boyfriend is pretty cute." She blushed and looked up at the Coach to make sure she wasn't going too far. "But he seemed a little…emotional during the match."  
Gunns was a little uncomfortable. He wasn't sure if Ekaterina would be happy with him sharing her story- but he couldn't lie to her. "I was explaining about the Hamstead's last year." She nodded, knowing what he was getting at. Coach Gunnerson hesitated before continuing, but realized he had a valuable resource in Ekaterina. "O'Connor seems to be in a similar position to you last year."   
"To..me? She couldn't be- I didn't crush my second opponent as thoroughly as she did." She smiled wryly and looked away.  
"You know what I mean." Ekaterina looked back at Coach Gunnerson and a hardened look appeared on her face, but she expected him to explain. "Megan's family has fallen on hard times. Her father felt her tennis was going nowhere, and demanded she pay him back for all the years at Cascadia, and disowned her from the family. All this has put a lot of pressure on her, and she's been having health problems."  
"And she has to choose between playing, getting sick, but possibly regaining her family and quitting, staying healthy, and losing her family," summarized Ekaterina.  
"That's pretty much it."  
"She should stop playing." He looked up at her interestedly. "She can still talk to her family and if they want payment, there are other ways of earning money. It'll take her a long time, but she can do it. This way, she'll be healthy enough to succeed at something else."  
Coach Gunnerson accepted her ideas and offered a seat to Ekaterina. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't be here…I tried to stop your coach."  
"I know you did. So I can't imagine how hard it must be for you to see Megan in such a difficult situation. Coach Gunnerson- you may not see the way now, but things get clearer as time goes on. You help me see that."  
"I helped you?"  
"Yes." She glanced at the wall clock and stood up again. "I better go…coach is pretty mad after I lost the game."  
"He shouldn't be. You'll do well Ekaterina, I know you will," assured Coach Gunnerson.  
"I owe you one sir, you really helped me out last year."  
"No, we're even. You've helped me see things more clearly This year." Gunns watched her slim figure walk away and tasted his coffee. "Cold. No one likes a cold cup o' joe…" He threw out the cup and headed back to the room to make a phone call. 


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE- TRAVELING UPHILL BOTH WAYS**

Coach Gunnerson had just hung up the phone when both Sebastien and Megan walked into the hotel room. They'd met in the lobby and taken the elevator up together- without a word. It wasn't that they were angry with each other, but that they had nothing to say. "Welcome home guys."   
Sebastien merely glanced his way and stepped into the shower. Megan and Coach Gunnerson both heard the water spur to life, as if created an barrier around Seb. Sebastien stepped into the shower and sighed again. He slammed his fist into the wall and crumpled to the floor of the shower. His thoughts were demons that haunted him every moment of the day- and they'd never been more demonic than in the past few days. After his mother had passed away, he tried his best to beat out the monster that tortured his mind with tennis. Every time he succeeded, it only pushed him harder. In his head, he thought there was a point where if he got good enough, the monster would go away and he would be free. Freedom was something he hadn't had for a long time.  
Megan threw her bag onto the bed she now officially shared with Sebastien. Sometime during the run, she'd made her decision. Megan knew Seb and Coach Gunnerson would be surprised with how quickly she'd chosen, but she knew it was the right thing to do. She just didn't know if there was enough time.  
A soft click interrupted her thoughts. Sebastien was done, and it was her turn in the shower. After she emerged, Coach Gunnerson made them eat dinner. (Bean sprouts and whole-wheat bread.) As they prepared for bed, Gunns cleared his throat. Megan and Sebastien turned to him as they padded into the room.  
"I made a phone call today." They shrugged. "To your parents." He was looking at Megan.  
"My parents?" She instinctively reached for Sebastien, and they both relaxed as they realized the tension hovering over the room hadn't affected their love for each other at all.  
"Yes…they're not…" he stopped.  
"Not what?"   
"Not willing to change their minds. Nothing good came of what I'd done…I just thought you needed to know I'd spoken to them."  
Megan collapsed into Sebastien's arms. "There's still hope there, isn't there?"  
"Yes, there's always hope. But O'Connor…you know it's not going to be easy."  
"I know…"  
Sebastien pulled Megan over to the bed and they all sat down, Coach Gunnerson facing the two of them. "What are our options?"  
Megan spoke up. "There is only one option. I'm going to finish the Hamstead- and only after that will I seek help. If a doctor says I need to stop playing tennis, I will. I'll find other ways of paying back my parents, and maybe after that they'll consider letting me back in the family."  
"What if this get's too far during the Hamstead's?" asked Sebastien.  
"Then it will have gotten too far," she answered sharply. "I must finish this tournament. That's all I'm asking you guys, let me finish."  
Coach Gunnerson nodded- it was nearly identical to Ekaterina's suggestion. "That sounds like a good plan. Considering the circumstances."  
Sebastien could only pray Megan didn't get worse before the end of next week. He snapped back and checked the clock. "It's late. I've got a match tomorrow, and I need to sleep."  
"So I do." Megan checked herself. "I mean, I need to sleep. It's been a long day, don't you think?"  
Gunnerson agreed and leaned over to turn off the light. "Goodnight O'Connor, Dubé."  
"'Night," they replied in unison.  
Snuggled together under the blankets, Sebastien whispered to Megan, "You made a good decision."  
"I only wish I could have made an easier one," she replied.  
"In life, there are no easy decisions- only simpler ones."  
"Wise words!" She paused.  
"I love you," he said tentatively.  
Softly, she kissed his cheek. "More wise words."  
"The wisest one's I know." They kissed again, before Coach Gunnerson interrupted them.  
"Go to bed guys! I don't want to hear this from my students- you should be focusing on the tennis, not each other!" he barked.  
"Yes sir!" They both smiled to each other and fell asleep, ready but not willing for the next day to come.  
The next day was pretty uneventful- Sebastien won his match, and Megan cheered on the sidelines. As soon as he'd finished, Coach Gunnerson herded them to the tennis club so they could keep training. The only thing of importance that day was Gunnerson's departure. He'd tried his best to bargain a few more days with Cascadia, but they'd already extended his holiday for two more days. Megan and Sebastien insisted on accompanying him to the airport, despite his reluctance.   
"Coach…I can't believe you're leaving!" cried Megan.  
"I can't believe you're here!" said Sebastien.  
Coach Gunnerson gave Sebastien a knowing look. "Thanks, O'Connor. I have to get back to Cascadia- the rest of Top Gun still needs a coach, you know. Unlike you two!"  
"Don't say that coach!" said Megan.  
"Yea…you can tell from the past few days that we need you a lot more than you think we do. You did…a lot for us," said Sebastien, in a way very unlike him.  
"Well you two have pretty big problems…and it's my job to do whatever's best for my players." He looked up as the boarding call for his flight was called. "I better go. Cascadia calls!"  
He held out his hand, and Megan took it, nearly tearing up. Suddenly, she pulled forward and gave her coach a big hug- something she never imagined doing.   
"Thank you so much…" she whispered through the tears.  
Gunnerson was surprised. "Part of the job, O'Connor."  
Sebastien walked closer to them and joined in the hug. "You went far past your job, Coach."   
They stood there for a long time, letting the crowd move around them. They'd created a protection within each other, and as long as they weren't alone they'd be safe. Finally, Coach Gunnerson let go and looked at Megan and Sebastien. They'd been through so much, and they still had a long way to go. He patted them both on the back, and choking back tears said, "I'll see you guys in a week. You'll survive, you always do. Good luck!" He walked away to the gate and took one longing glance at his students before getting onto the plane.   
Megan grabbed Sebastien's hand and pulled him over to the window. They watched the plane take flight, knowing it'd be their turn to leave in just seven days. But before they could do that, they had to win the Hamstead. 


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN- SEMI FINALS  
**As soon as they got back to the hotel room, Megan and Sebastien joined each other in bed. Megan lay there with her head on Sebastien's chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. She felt more at rest since she had made her decision. Still, the ramifications of it scared her. She knew she could get very sick, and that would just cost more money. Yet…if she didn't compete…  
Sebastien stroked Megan's hair as she slowly drifted off to sleep. Gunnerson had given him a lot to think about, and he couldn't seem to get it in his head. He spent a lot of time thinking about his mother, when he wasn't worrying about how to help his dad pay rent. He still felt guilty about being so angry the last time he'd had to work at Arnie's to pay off the bills. His dad had been so disappointed…but maybe, Sebastien reasoned, he just didn't understand how much this all hurt. Providing for them both, while costing his dad $60 000 a year, maintaining his grades, and not thinking about mother. He sighed and slipped below the covers, all of this weighing on his mind.   
The weekend passed quickly- they explored the small town of Hamstead, U.K. and trained a lot more. They used each other's strengths to motivate their weaknesses. Megan pushed Sebastien harder with endurance running, and Sebastien pushed Megan on perfecting her strokes. By the time Monday, and the semi-finals and rolled around, they felt like they were at the top of their game. Even though they'd spent a lot of nights lying awake, or talking to each other, they were well rested. Megan had had only one spasm the whole weekend, and Sebastien was able to tear away from his thoughts to help ease her out of the pain. Monday morning dawned bright.  
"Morning Sebastien…" Megan yawned and got out of bed.   
"Morning." Sebastien rolled over and fell out of bed. "Ai!"   
Megan started laughing before helping him up. "Wrong side of the bed, Seb?"  
"There's a wrong side of the bed?" She shook her head and hauled him up. "Breakfast?"  
"There better be! Remember I called for it last night?"   
"Mmm…food." He almost fell over again. "It's the semi-finals today!"  
"You just realized, Sebastien?" She was laughing again when there was a knock on the door.  
"Room service!" Sebastien raced her to the door and they pulled it open, nearly on top of each other.  
The bellhop eyed them for a second. "Here's your food. Players, are you?"  
"Yes! We're in the semi-finals!" they chorused.  
The look on his face changed to respect. "Well, congratulations! I've been trying to catch as much as I could but…" he shrugged.  
"It's okay. We haven't watched any games but each other's!" chirped Megan.  
"But a lot of guys turned up for her matches…." Said Sebastien slyly.   
"Seb!" She elbowed him.  
"You're turning into Cody, Megs," he warned, before winking.  
"Shut up!"   
The bellhop looked uncomfortable now. He waved good-bye, and left the pair at the door.   
"Sebastien, you scared him away!"   
"I didn't! What'd we get to eat anyways?" he peered under the covers of the food. "Bean sprouts." His body sagged a little in mock discouragement.  
"Hey! We need to eat healthy!" Megan tried her best to look excited while popping a few in her mouth.   
"That's gross. Much like your pudding cups," he stated.  
"Oh…pudding cups." Megan grabbed something off the tray and hid it under a paper towel. "No pudding cups here!"   
Sebastien just grabbed the trolley and pulled it into the room, nerves for today's match starting to settle in. "Aren't you worried?"  
"About the match?" Megan's laughter was starting to fade away too. "Yea…especially after my 'nice girl's never finish first' tape got ruined."  
"Whatever happened to that?" asked Sebastien.  
"Violet Hall… or maybe Sunny. I'm not sure," she said half-heartedly. Sebastien started to laugh before Megan pointed a finger at him.  
"What about your Francois Cochet picture?" she said.  
"Who needs Francois Cochet when I have another tennis star in real life, hm?" he grabbed her around the waist and they started laughing again. She grabbed a handful of bean sprouts and started threatening him with them. "No! Not the bean sprouts!"   
"You'll never escape me!" They started giggling helplessly as she stuffed them into his mouth and he tried his best to chew the tasteless string.   
"That…is VILE," he coughed and grabbed a slice of whole wheat bread. They ate in silence, looking up at each other and smiling the whole mean. Occasionally, one of them would start laughing because they couldn't keep their eyes off each other. As soon as they finished breakfast, they grabbed their rackets and hopped on a cab to the tournament. Unfortunately, both their matches were at the same time. They'd have to wait until they were both done to see each other.   
"Sebastien?" Megan whacked the ball straight at him in practise.  
"Yea?" He heaved and knocked to the opposite side of the court.  
"We're SO going to ace this tournament!" She laughed and shot the ball down his throat.  
"Aughh!" He stumbled away quickly so he wouldn't get hit in the face with the ball. He served. "Don't count your chickens!"  
"Whatever!"   
Megan was just about the slam the ball when she stopped in her tracks. "The semi-finals for the Junior Women's and Men's tournament will take place in 20 minutes. Player's are asked to report to their respective courts immediately.  
"Ah nooo!" yelled Megan. "It's not time yet!"  
"Sebastien hopped the net and grabbed her hands in his. "I thought you were going to ace the tournament?" His eyes twinkled as she pulled away and turned around in mock anger.  
"I was! Until I realized I'd have to play tennis to win!" She changed into a serious mode and cradled her racket, as if to gain some secret strength from the metal and string. Sebastien pulled it out of her grip and took her hands again.  
"Your game is in you, not your racket. And you're amazing." He kissed her softly and they leaned into each other, delaying the moment when they'd have to part.   
"Player's Dubé and O'Connor are asked to report to their courts immediately." They glanced up towards the intercom system, before letting go of each other.   
"Ready?" asked Sebastien.   
"Ready."  
They walked off to their courts, completely in the zone. An hour later, they walked back towards each other, yelling at the top of their lungs.  
"FINALS! FINALS! We're in the FINALS!" Sebastien and Megan were both soaked with sweat- they'd just played some very strong opponents.   
A crowd of camera's and press were waiting outside the player's area. Sebastien and Megan timidly came out to meet them, along with the other two finalists of the tournament.   
"Mr. Dubé! Ms. O'Connor! How do you feel about making it to the final's together?"   
"Ms. O'Connor, who's the better player?"  
"Mr. Dubé! What's your secret to playing such strong games?"  
Megan started smiling and stepped away from Sebastien. "Francois Cochet!"   
"Megs!" Sebastien was horrified. "What about your compulsive running?"  
"He organizes his meals in alphabetical order!"   
"One time she tried to disorganize all my food and ended up on the floor of the caf, covered in pasta!"  
"SEBASTIEN!" She playfully slapped his arm and opened up to the cameras. "And to answer your question, I believe I'M the better player here."   
"Right…" Sebastien started laughing as the press instantly fell in love with the tennis-star couple. They answered a few more questions, interspersed with laughter and reminiscing of their friends at Cascadia. Finally, Sebastien pulled Megan away and they ran to a catch a taxi back to the hotel.  
As they tumbled into the car, they burst out into laughter. "I've never laughed so much in my life!" coughed out Megan.  
"That was the most fun I've ever had!" yelled Sebastien. "ADRENALINE!"  
"YEAAA!" Megan turned around and gave Sebastien a wild, passionate kiss. "We're in the finals!"  
"What happens if we win the whole thing?" grinned Sebastien.   
"Don't be getting any idea's, Dubé." She giggled and leaned into him. "Mr. Dubé! How do feel about making the finals? Mr. Dubé! Do you feel confidant about your game?" She mocked the reporters, teasing Sebastien about their newfound publicity.  
"Hey, you got a lot of media attention too! The world loves you O'Connor, but I love you more." They smiled as the taxi pulled into the hotel.   
A reported approached them as they walked through the entrance. Five more stood up from some couches placed in the lobby. A few more popped out of corners, and they swarmed the young couple.  
"Mr. Dubé, how did you get your mysterious head-injury?" probed one.  
"Ms. O'Connor, why did your father not stay for the rest of the tournament?"  
"Mr. Dubé, we haven't heard anything about your family, where are they?"  
"Ms. O'Connor, we've heard you're having health problems, can you explain about that?"  
The media reared it's head again as they struggled to answer.  
"I…tripped on a racket in the player's area," claimed Sebastien.  
"My dad had business to attend to," Megan mumbled.  
"My family is…they are…they're…" Sebastien trailed off. He looked to Megan to help him out, but she had no idea what to say.  
"Ms. O'Connor, what about your health?" asked the reported urgently.  
Sebastien had to get out of there. "We have to go train!" He grabbed Megan's wrist and they tore out of the crowd, stunned by the personal questioned posed to them.  
"How did they know?" gasped Megan as soon as they got into the elevator. The mirror-lined walls reflected her face, starting to labour under the pressure to breathe.  
"They must have not known back at the tournament, otherwise they'd have asked then. Someone told them!" He glanced at Megan and stepped back for a moment. She was started to get paler…"Megan?"  
"Oh God!" She crouched to the floor, pulling Sebastien down with her. "No…stop!" She closed her eyes and leaned her head on Sebastien's arm. He slid his arms under her and lifted her up like a child. As the elevator doors opened, he kicked their bags into the hallway and fumbled for the key, as Megan tried not to scream. He had finally opened the door when a flash of light blinded the pair. A man darted around the corner, clutching a camera. Sebastien couldn't chase him down- Megan needed his help. He shoved the bags in the door and slammed it shut, laying Megan down on the couch. She tucked herself into the fetal position and stuffed part of a pillow into her mouth. "SEBASTIEN!"   
"I'm here, I'm right beside you don't worry." She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly. "Just breathe Megan, there's nothing else we can do."   
"Find something to do!" she hissed. She was about to suggest he try stabbing his stomach so he knew what her pain felt like, but another shot of torture coursed through her body. She couldn't even bear to scream. Not realizing she was holding her breath, she started getting dizzy. In the back of her head, she knew she had to hold on, but all she could think of was the oblivion of unconsciousness.  
"MEGAN! You have to stay awake!" He squeezed her hand tighter and begged her to stay. "I need you here with me! You need to stay here!" Her mind was shutting down, slowly ceasing to function. "Oh God, Megan!"   
Megan drifted away. All her senses had stopped working. She floated in a thick mass of black, swimming aimlessly around. She revelled in the freedom of unconsciousness, without worry or emotion. Emotion. Her mind was beginning to wake up as she remembered the rush of love she felt the first time she watched Sebastien play tennis, the rush of discouragement when her mother told them they were losing money, the sick feeling she got when her father showed up at her first match, the fear when the reporter's discovered her secrets. A small part of her clung to the obscurity, but the rest of her needed to return to her world- a world with feelings and senses and problems she knew she would have to overcome. With a final push of strength, she brought herself back to reality.   
Sebastien didn't despair when Megan passed out. Instead, he calmly called her name, knowing she'd wake up with a little reminder of the real world. Thoughts of his mother flitted through his head, but he brushed them away. When she woke up, he heaved a sigh of relief and clutched her tightly in his arms. At first, she was a little surprised, but as soon as she got her bearings she held him like she'd never let go.  
"You okay?" asked Sebastien gently.  
"I'm…fine." She felt her stomach. "The pain's gone."  
"Good. I can't stand to see you in pain…" he trailed off.  
"You're in pain." She tilted his chin up to look her in the eye.   
He tried to shake her off. "No, I'm not. Nothing's wrong."  
"It's a lot, isn't it?" She pulled him up to the couch beside her.  
"Which is?"   
"Everything. Your mother, your father, tennis…it's a lot of responsibility."  
"There is no alternative. I have no choice." He looked down and traced her fingers. "There is no one left to provide for our family. My father works so hard, but it doesn't cut it. Our house paid for most of my first year at Cascadia, and the first month of rent. The rest, we'd have to make up on our own. My mother would be horrified at the way things got. We're living a lie, here."  
"You're the most real person I know," said Megan.   
"Right now, real isn't good enough." Sebastien ended the conversation and prepared for bed. Megan followed close behind. As they were about to slip into sleep, a knock on the door woke them.  
"Sebastien…get the door."  
"I always have to get the door!"  
"Erg…just answer it!" He padded across the room and opened the door to an empty hallway. However, tucked under the door was a small envelope. Enclosed was the mysterious picture that had been taken when Megan had her spasm. A post-it note was attached: Your secret is safe with me, as well as with a doctor. A phone number was scrawled on the back of the picture.   
"Who was it?" yawned Megan.  
"Our cameraman. He returned the picture, and…"  
"And?"  
"Recommended a doctor for you to see."  
"No. Not until after the tournament," answered Megan.  
"Please Megs!" he gently tilted her chin until she was looking him straight in the eye.  
"I've made my decision. No." She pushed his hair back. "I'm sorry Sebastien…not if it means losing the only chance I have of regaining my family."  
He took her hand. "I…I guess that's okay. I wish there was an easier way!"  
"You're making it easier for me just by being here. K, Seb?"  
"K."


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN. THE FINALS**

The next day dawned rainy. With two days to train before the finals, Megan and Sebastien couldn't help panicking for a little while.   
"How are we supposed to train?" cried Megan hysterically.  
"The indoor courts will be full! Why did we sleep in? WHY?" yelled Sebastien.  
"Maybe…" Megan's eyes flew around the room. "We can practise inside!" She took a wild swing with her racket and almost knocked a hole in the TV. "Never mind then…"  
"Wait- there are only four people in the finals, right?" asked Sebastien.  
"There are still four finalists from the junior tournament- good thing we're just old enough to make it to the adult level!" said Megan, more calmly.  
"So…except for the other participants who are practising, there should really be only a few people out there. We can always ask for somewhere- we ARE in the finals, after all," said Sebastien rationally.  
"That's true…" Megan lowered her racket. "We MUST PRACTISE!" With that, it shot back in the air, almost whacking Sebastien in the back of the head. "Oh…sorry!"  
"It's ohkay…you JUST missed it." He clutched the back of the head and pushed Megan's racket closer to the ground. "Be careful with that around my head, k?" He started laughing as a sheepish look crossed her face.  
"Yea yea…let's just find a court!" They raced each other to the elevator and stayed at the tennis club the whole day, alternating between going on runs, working out at the gym, and catching some court time. They repeated this regiment of training the next day, taking care not to work themselves too hard lest they be tired out for injured for the finals.   
Thankfully, the weather was perfect for the finals. Sebastien tentatively peeked through the curtains, afraid the skies would be dull and grey for the third day in a row. When he caught a glimpse of the sun's reflection on the water below their hotel, he tore open the window and yelled Megan's name.  
"It's sunny!" She raced to his side and gaped at the beautiful view.   
"This is too good to be true…" She leaned against him. "Perfect weather for a match!"  
He let her words fade away as they basked in each other's presence. Sebastien kissed the top of her head and she turned to fit inside him- perfectly matched against his body. His hands slid down to the small of her back, supporting her as she leaned into him.   
Megan couldn't believe how well things had gone since Coach Gunnerson left. Truthfully, the shadow of the tournament still lay over both of them. They were comforted slightly by the fact that second place still held a relatively generous prize for both of them. The Hamstead tournament had even reformed its prize winnings so the women's purse was just as full as the men's. She felt so relaxed with Sebastien, they knew each other so well. They didn't feel the need to fill any silences, but just to let it settle over them and enjoy the moment.   
"Megan?" started Sebastien.  
"Mmm?"  
"We should really get ready." He pulled back and lovingly gazed into her eyes, the way she'd never thought possible.  
"Ahh…yea." She seemed dazed, as if she'd just woken up from a dream. "Breakfast?"  
"Yup. I made pancakes…with fruit of course. And…bean sprouts." He wrinkles his nose and pointed them out on the counter to the kitchen.  
"Thanks Seb!" She reached up and kissed him on the cheek before grabbing some pancakes and bean sprouts.  
"That is the nastiest combination I've ever seen!" he exclaimed. "Fruit and pancakes is okay, but bean sprouts?"  
"Don't knock it till you try it!" she cried.  
He gingerly took a pancake- without syrup- and popped it into his mouth with a few bean sprouts. "Consider it knocked."  
"Knocked?" asked Megan.  
"Isn't that what you said?"  
"Uhh…right. Just eat your sprouts!" she waved them eagerly in front of his face.  
"Ughhh…" he shivered. Nonetheless, he grabbed a handful of the beans and started arranging them on his plate. He took a sip of his orange juice and placed it carefully on the table. Then he picked up his knife and fork, daintily cut up his pancakes, and proceeded to lay them out on his plate.   
"Whatever floats your boat!"  
"What boat?"  
"You are so lost, Sebastien." She got up to start getting ready for the tournament, knocking him in the head.   
"What was that for?" he said indignantly.  
"Nothing, nothing…" she said and disappeared into their bedroom. Sebastien shrugged and returned to his carefully positioned plate.  
Soon enough they were flagging down a taxi to get them to the tournament. Megan was poking through his bag, searching for her hair ties.   
"Why would I have your hair elastics? I don't have any hair to tie!" said Sebastien.  
"I don't know…it might have gotten tossed in here while we were packing," huffed Megan.  
"Look Megan! You don't need any more hair ties. You already have five on your wrist, just in case, remember?" She stopped searching his bag. "See, you don't need to look in there!" Megan was still staring into his bag. "What? What's wrong?"  
"Is this…?" She was slowly pulling something out. "Francois Cochet?" She started to laugh.  
He grabbed the picture and turned it around so she could see it. "No… it's my new tennis idol." It was a picture of Megan. "And you'll be my special lucky charm even if you stop playing tennis." He kissed her softly.  
Her eyes slowly reopened, before pulling a thick piece of paper out of her back pocket and flicking it before Sebastien's eyes. "My lucky charm."  
He started to laugh, seeing his own face on the page. "I thought you weren't superstitious?"  
"Whatever Sebastien! I'll take whatever luck I can get for this final!" she scoffed.  
"Well then I won't take this away from you." He tucked it gently into her palm, and caressed her fingers before safely placing it in his bag. "Even though you don't need any luck."  
The taxi stopped in front of the now familiar tennis complex. Their names were plastered everywhere- Megan O'Connor vs. Michelle Lewiston. Sebastien Dubé vs. Alexander Bell.   
"Whoa…" breathed Megan as they stepped out of the cab. "I can see your name everywhere!"  
Sebastien's eyes were wide open; taking in the moment he'd been waiting for since the first time he picked up a racket. "And yours…this is a dream come true."  
She turned away from the flashing lights and gigantic banners. "Sebastien…" She grasped his hand and they both walked bravely into the player's area, oblivious to the media trucks parked around the stadium.  
They dropped their bags and Sebastien started warming up- his game was first. Megan helped him calm down, subconsciously smoothing her own frazzled nerves. They went over his game, and when his name was called to the court, he was ready. He clung onto Megan and she held him tight, knowing how much was resting on this one match. Finally he let go and gently kissed her. Feeling like a solider going into battle, a just a little melodramatic, he marched onto the court.  
Megan scurried up into the crowd, hoping there was an empty seat next to Sebastien. She found that the Hamstead Tournament Committee saved two seats for each player's close friends or family. She took one of those seats, and a little sadly, removed the reserved sign from the one beside her. No one else close would be coming to see the match.   
Sebastien was an amazingly strong player. He'd always crushed his opponent's with such finality that Alexander Bell's skills were slightly surprising. He led the game, making good use of his much-improved serve, and claiming a few aces. However, when Alexander's turn came up to serve, he fell back. Megan sat on the edge of her chair, watching the ball with deep concentration. Finally, Sebastien came back up to the lead. At the final match, he was still leading. He had an advantage against Bell, and Bell was serving. The crowd instinctively leaned in for Sebastien's Championship Match Point. Bell bounced the ball- one, two- and lobbed it in the air. His racket came up to meet it with such forced that the crowd gasped as a single entity. Sebastien shot from his spot and returned the ball with his powerful ground stroke, sending it flying over the net and bouncing a few inches from the line, too quickly for Bell to even move. A tense hush fell over the crowd, waiting to hear whether the shot was in.   
"Championship point for Mr. Dubé."   
"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Sebastien dropped his racket and jumped into the air, pumping his fist in the air. Megan was screaming on the sidelines, the crowd was cheering, everyone was on their feet. Suddenly Sebastien ran over to Megan and swung her over onto the court. She was laughing and crying all at once, clinging onto his neck and crying into his shoulder. Sebastien turned and yelled into the crowd, "This is for you, mom!" Silent tears fell from his eyes, but this time they were tears of joy. Megan smiled at him softly and let go, waving to the crowd with her arm wrapped around his waist. Camera's flashed as Sebastien looked into her eyes and they kissed, clinging to each other once again in the heat of the moment. With a final roar, Sebastien swept her up in his arms and carried her off the court like a new husband walking his wife across the threshold of their new life.   
"Sebastien, you were awesome!" Megan cried, kissing him all over again.   
"I can't believe this! I can't believe I won!" He spun around, both of them wildly ecstatic with his win. The reporter's started to pour in, yelling out questions and flashing light bulbs. They quieted down when the official network for the Hamstead Tournament got to the front of the crowd.  
A reporter took her place next to Sebastien, readying for the shot. "I'm here with Sebastien Dubé, who has just won the Championship Match for the men's tournament at the Hamstead. What do you have to say, Mr. Dubé?"  
"I'm not quite sure! I just know, I couldn't have gotten here without Coach Gunnerson back at Cascadia, and all of Top Gun back there. And I definitely couldn't have gotten here without Megan." She blushed, still cradled in his arms.  
"Anything to say to the family back home?"  
"Just-" he paused and asked the reporter a question. "Can I say this in French? My father would understand it better." She nodded and he continued. " Papa, vous avez été là pour moi même lorsque nos rêves ont semblé jusqu'ici au loin. Vous avez fait ainsi beaucoup de sacrifices pour ceci, et je suis si fier d'avoir réussi pour vous et la maman. Je t'aime !"   
"Would you mind translating that for our English audiences?"   
"Not at all! Papa, you've been there for me even when our dreams seemed so far off. You've made so many sacrifices for this, and I'm so proud to have succeded for you and mama. I love you!" He blushed, never having been so open before, especially in front of all these cameras.  
The reporter smiled, knowing how important this was to such a young competitor. "The award ceremony for Mr. Dubé will be held tonight, following the women's match. I'm sure he will be there to support Ms. O'Connor!"   
The camera clicked off, and the reporters continued their questions. After a few minutes, Sebastien told them he needed to go and he and Megan left the crowd behind.  
"That was so sweet, Seb!" she cooed.  
"I had to say something!" he said, covering up for his soft moment.  
"It was definitely the right something then!" He put her on the ground and caught a glimpse of his watch, doubling back to check the time.   
"Megan! There's only half an hour until your match!" She gasped and they ran, hand in hand to a warm-up spot near her court.   
Megan was beginning to panic, and her muscles started tensing up. Sebastien spoke calmly- even though he was barely able to contain his excitement. Every time he felt her muscles tighten, he drew his hand across it, helping Megan become more aware of her body. Her heart slowed, and her head cleared. Megan visualized her strokes and jogged on the spot, and finally her body was ready for the match. Sebastien drew her into his arms and was ready to release her when she was called to the court. Megan started to walk out, but she ran back and kissed his soft lips, gathering courage to take on this Michelle Lewiston and whatever she could dish out.  
Sebastien ran up, grabbing the reserved seat and also sadly removing the reserved sign from the one beside it. Megan served the ball, foot-faulting it. She breathed, looked to him for a little confidence, and slammed the ball down within the service box. Lewiston didn't even blink before it was past her. Megan bit her lip and served again, winning the point with a short rally. The game progressed in the same way, both player's giving their best, occasionally making errors but playing their hearts out. Michelle Lewiston dove for the ball, sweat dripping down her back, and served the ball with an extreme load of force. Megan roared whenever she attacked the ball, surprising everyone with her strength and control. Just like Sebastien, she had an advantage over Michelle by the end of the match. This time- Megan was serving. She bounced the ball, Lewiston watching like a hawk, bouncing on her toes. Megan tossed the ball- but let it drop. She glanced towards Sebastien, and he gave her a tight smile- he could almost feel the nerves radiating from her. Megan's focus returned to the game, the crowd deathly silent. Her hand shot up, then her racket meeting the ball and slamming it deep into the service box. Michelle Lewiston dove but the ball bounced up over her head and landed somewhere in the crowd.   
Sebastien was the first one up, vaulting into the court and joining Megan as she fell to her knees; in utter disbelief that they'd BOTH won the finals. The crowd got to their feet, realizing that the tennis star couple had taken the Tournament, both scooping up the most prestigious prizes in the Hamstead. They roared, with a standing ovation for Megan O'Connor, who had to battle for every point and had, more than anyone else, earned the title of Hamstead Women's Champion. Megan's tears were soaking the ground, she pounded the hard clay with fists of glory, and finally, as Sebastien came to her side, she rose to accept the people who were chanting her name. Seb wiped away her tears, grinning from ear to ear and he took her by the waist. Lion King style, he lifted her up and she waved to the crowd, revolving slowly as they cheered her on. As Seb lowered her to the ground, she looked him in the eye and said, "I have my family back…" and they cried together.  
"Home…we're going home," he whispered in her ear. They both walked off the court, to get ready for the award ceremony. 


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN. HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS  
**Unlike many other tournaments; the Hamstead gave the competitors some time to prepare for the awards ceremony. They took showers in the player's area and changed into slightly dressier clothes. Sebastien came out to meet Megan, and offered her his services as an escort. She takes his arm and he leads her out to a quiet grassy area, a forgotten space between the courts. He sat on the grass, gently pulling her down to join him. Her head rested in his lap, both of them enjoying the silence and the good feeling of finally winning the Hamstead.  
"Sebastien?" said Megan quietly.  
"Yea?"   
"Do you think…do you think this will work?" she asked.  
"Do I think what will work?"  
"This…you said back on the court that we were going home," she said, clearly but softly. "Do I have a home to go to?"  
"You'll always have a home with me," he answered.  
"I know…but a home with my family." He couldn't reply to that- not knowing if there would be a family for Megan. Even after Coach Gunnerson talked to them, they didn't even think about accepting her back. He avoided the question.  
"You'll get endorsement deals for sure…and your rankings went up."  
"I know- but what if that's not good enough for them?"  
"We'll find a way, Megs. But…you know, it might not be," he said tentatively.  
"Just in case…" she stopped.  
"I'm here," he finished.  
"Thank you," she breathed. They were gazing at each other in a way that only lover's can, and unlike the wild kisses they'd given each other on the court, they reached towards each other as if in a daze.   
Sebastien's lips touched her own heavenly, soft lips. One of his hands slid behind her neck, cradling her, the other rested in the small of her back. Megan's hands were on his face, on his shoulders, on his arms, wrapped around him. They broke apart, but the space between them begged to be filled and they kissed again, and again. Their eyes were both closed so softly, just fluttering close to open, that they never noticed the committee member standing outside their haven. This intruder slipped away for a little while, and they felt for each other again and again, gentle slow kisses escalating to more passionate ones as they finally filled the need for each other. Their bodies were yearning for this moment, and they sensed each other as they felt everywhere, memorizing each other with their hands and being involved in this whole sensual experience. The heat of the moment faded, and their tired eyes were locked on each other- the most beautiful thing either of them had ever seen, for their love drew rosy glasses across their eyes despite the sullen fury that churned in their hearts, despairing for their families, lost and gone, or lost and still there. Megan lay in Sebastien's arms, caressing his face and hair, smiling as the moment ended, and the intruder came back.   
The mysterious person coughed, and they both jumped. "The award ceremony's about to start." The woman uttered these words so quietly so they were fit to the atmosphere in the air. She smiled at their love, and beckoned for them to follow.   
The silence of their hideout was a great difference from the crowds that met them at Centre Court. Waiting in the sidelines, they nervously straightened their clothing and took each other's hand. Finally, the call came.  
"Megan O'Connor and Sebastien Dubé, Women's and Men's Champions of the Hamstead Tournament!"   
They walked out slowly, not anticipating the rush of flashbulbs and screaming that emanated from all around them. As they emerged, cameramen gasped at the picture showing up on their screen, and paused to check if what was showing up was real. The crowd quieted down, and as they walked up the majestic red carpet, (a dream for many, and no longer a dream for them) the number of camera's decreased and everyone rose from their seats. For a moment- just half a moment- the stadium was completely silent. Too quickly after, they were cheering and yelling even louder than before. The thing that had shocked them was the glow that came from Sebastien and Megan, a glow that only shows up after someone has found their love and looked into their eyes. They reached the committee waiting in the centre of the court, all smiling at them. Again, the crowd quieted. Sebastien was first to receive the silver platter with his name engraved on it among the names of champions, the ranks of which he'd just joined. Then Megan was handed her own, and together they raised them high in the air, a salute to all the people who had gone before them and all the people who helped them get up to that red carpet. The circle of fans spun around them just like when Sebastien first beat Squib. Except, this victory was much, much sweeter.   
"Mr. Dubé, do you have anything to say?" asked the announcer.  
"Just…thank you so much! It took a lot to get here, and it would never have been my name engraved here if sacrifices hadn't been made. Dad, Top Gun, Coach, Megs, and Mom…this is for you!"   
"Ms. O'Connor?"  
"This is so much more than a trophy, right here. I can't even believe I'm here! All my friends have been there for me the whole time, and I doubt I'd be able to stand here if they hadn't. Thank you, so, so much!"   
The announcer turned to face the crowd. "We've got a special surprise for you here. Knowing you'd been away from your friends for a long time, we arranged for you to see them by satellite before you head back to Cascadia Tennis Academy!"   
The gigantic screen at the head of the court flashed once, and everyone in the crowd could see inside The Open at Cascadia. Top Gun had assembled on the couches and the first thing they heard was a high-pitched scream from Adena.  
"Megs? MEGS! I cannot believe you won the Hamstead!"   
Squib was sitting beside Cody on the couch and looked up from their spot. "I took your advice man…" and he and Cody moved apart to reveal their finger's intertwined on the couch.   
Sebastien jumped up at the same time Megan did. "OH MY GOSH! FINALLY!" The crowd burst out into nervous laughter.  
Cody turned towards the camera. "Congrats guys! You won't believe how excited everyone is! They can't wait for you to get home."  
Adena popped up from behind the couch. "Stop hogging the camera Codes!" She flipped her hair and smiled. "You guys were awesome!"  
"Yea…Gunns made us watch your games over and over…he kept saying something about focus," said Squib.  
"Mr. Furlong…I was telling YOU to focus!" voiced Coach Gunnerson.  
Megan stepped up. "Sir, thank you so much!"  
"Hey, that's my job O'Connor!" The crowd aww'ed at the cute moment.  
The announcer interrupted. "Sorry guys, but time's up. Satellite communication is expensive you know!"  
Everyone laughed as The Open faded away on the screen. Sebastien and Megan were both hit with a wave of homesickness, remembering all the fun times with their friends.  
"That concludes the award ceremony. Once again, congratulations to Mr. Dubé and Ms. O'Connor!" Still cheering, the crowd thinned as the events wrapped up.   
Sebastien and Megan stayed around the court, signing autographs and talking to fans- a lot of them young player's looking for tips on becoming a star. As Sebastien smiled for a picture with a tennis prodigy from France- strikingly like him- he turned and found himself face-to-face with a rather stern looking man in a suit.  
"Hello Mr. Dubé. I'm Mr. Carlson from Wilson Sporting Goods." He stuck out a stiff hand, and Sebastien shook it weakly.  
"Uhh…pleased to meet you, Mr. Carlson."  
"You're quite the player!" he gave a tight-lipped smile.  
"Thank you! I've been training for a long time and…" Mr. Carlson cut off Sebastien.  
"I'm here to offer you a deal."   
"An…an…endorsement deal!" he gasped.  
"Well, that IS the kind of thing I deal with- unless you don't want to hear about it," he said, raising his eyebrow.  
"Oh! Oh no- I definitely want to hear about. I'm just a little surprised!"  
Mr. Carlson smiled genuinely for the first time since Sebastien had met him. "You ARE very young, but you've got that special thing going for you. The media love you, the ladies clearly love you, and I believe you've just become the tennis world's new favourite guy. We need you on our team."  
"That's very flattering Mr. Carlson! What…I mean…how….uhh." Sebastien was clearly flustered.  
"How much are we offering?"  
"Yea."  
"At the moment, we're looking at a few hundred thousand. But- if you keep playing the way you do this could easily turn into a million dollar endorsement deal," he patted Sebastien on the back.  
"Oh…wow!"   
"Here's my number. Call if you have any questions. I'll definitely be contacting you once you return to Cascadia." He started to walk away, but turned back. "By the way, congratulations Mr. Dubé."  
At the same time, on the other side of the court, Megan's dream was coming true as well.  
"Ms. O'Connor?" a shy voice called.  
"Yes?" Megan turned to find a girl, about eight years old waiting to talk to her. The girl was clutching a racket like many of the other kids who's approached Megs.  
"My coach wants to tell you something." The woman-standing behind the girl smiled.  
"There's a new recreational centre opening up here in Hamstead. We've just decided to incorporate a children's and teen's tennis program- and we want to name it after you. You're the youngest winner of the Hamstead so far, and all these kids are so young- they'd really look up to you."  
"Are you serious?" said Megan.  
"Completely."  
"Thank you…thank you SO much!" Megan was grinning- the first thought in her head was to tell Sebastien.  
"So you're okay with it? We're thinking of calling it the Megan O'Connor Tennis Camp for Young Players."   
Megan smiled easily. "That's quite a mouthful!"  
The coach grinned ruefully. "You should hear this one say it. It sounds like 'men-okee-tennis-ca-for-yor-plate." The little girl blushed and squeezed her racket.  
"That's so cute! Thank you again, miss!" The coach hugged Megan and said she'd send as much information about the camp as she could to her.  
Just then, Sebastien came bounding across the court, jumping the net and scooping up Megan. "A million dollar endorsement deal!"  
"My own tennis camp named after me!"  
They kissed again, and Sebastien walked off the court carrying Megan. Their plane left early in the morning the next day, and they wanted to make the best of their last night in the U.K. 


End file.
